Nine QB trade, free agency options for Vikings after Kirk Cousins' injury: Who could step in?

It wasn’t so long ago that speculation centered on whether or not the Minnesota Vikings should try to move QB Kirk Cousins before the NFL’s trade deadline, which expires at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Now that script has fully flipped, the Vikes stunningly thrust into the position of weighing outside alternatives to replace Cousins, who hurt his Achilles in Sunday’s win against the Green Bay Packers – the injury likely to end his season.

Cousins, who had a full no-trade clause as he played out the final season of his contract, was probably never going anywhere – to the New York Jets or otherwise – and recent weeks have illustrated why. Whatever drawbacks he has – namely a general lack of success in high-profile games – he’s been among the more consistent and durable passers in the league ever since emerging as a starter in Washington in 2015. He hasn’t made fewer than 15 starts in a season since … a run of reliability that will doubtless end now.

And the timing is such a shame.

Not only had Cousins pushed the Vikings back to .500 with a third straight win following a 1-4 start, Minnesota, fortuitous NFC North champs a year ago, was slotted as the NFC’s third wild-card team by the time Sunday’s action had wrapped up. And while maybe the Vikes caught a break insomuch as Cousins went down before the trade deadline, they don’t even have two days to execute a deal if that’s the route GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and HC Kevin O’Connell select.

(And there’s not clear-cut Plan B QB on the roster. Rookie Jaren Hall mopped up Sunday. Veteran Nick Mullens went on injured reserve with a back injury earlier this month but could return as soon as Week 10. Fellow journeyman Sean Mannion, who started a game late in the 2021 season when unvaccinated Cousins was placed on the COVID-19 list, is on the practice squad.)

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So Minnesota doesn’t have to make a move. Yet expecting a green rookie and/or two career backups with a combined NFL record of 5-15 to sustain this current postseason push for nine more games seems like a significant stretch. So ... who might be among the alternatives?

Free agents

Nick Foles: He didn’t look great in two starts for the Indianapolis Colts last season and might be perfectly content to never play another down of football. But he’s got a well-earned reputation as a stellar reliever, most famously his 2017 playoff heroics, which culminated with Super Bowl 52 MVP honors – which occurred in Minnesota.

Matt Ryan: The 2016 league MVP didn’t look great in his 12 starts for the 2022 Colts, either. Ryan claimed to have no interest in leaving the CBS broadcast booth to potentially join the Jets after Aaron Rodgers was injured in Week 1. Still, he apparently hasn’t fully shut the door on retirement, either.

Carson Wentz: It’s not like the free-agent QB market is stocked with talent at the end of October, but he’s probably the best available – at least from a physical standpoint. And playing close to his North Dakota roots would probably hold some appeal for Wentz. The question is whether the Vikings have any appetite for the roller-coaster ride he tends to invite.

Trade candidates

Jacoby Brissett, Washington Commanders: He’s never taken a team to postseason. But he’s been almost universally popular in every locker room he’s graced, has 48 NFL starts on his résumé, and is on an expiring contract for a team that seems on the verge of a yard sale. Solid option.

Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers: He’s got 167 NFL starts, including playoffs, under his belt and has evolved into a top-tier backup in recent years. And while his ability to mentor rookie QB Bryce Young is surely valuable to Carolina, the exchange rate might be more important for a Panthers team that spent so much draft capital to get Young. Dalton, 36, is under contract through next season, which, given Cousins’ injury, could have added appeal for Minnesota.

Trey Lance, Dallas Cowboys: The No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 draft (by the San Francisco 49ers) is obviously very talented – if inexperienced given his limited reps both at the college and NFL levels. He’s a Minnesota native and could be an especially intriguing option for the Vikings given Cousins' uncertain physical and fiscal futures. Yet given the Cowboys traded a fourth-rounder to the Niners to obtain Lance's services before the season, Adofo-Mensah knows the floor of what could be a relatively hefty price tag begins.

Case Keenum, Houston Texans: Hard not to like this one. Currently a third-stringer behind rookie C.J. Stroud, Keenum took the Vikings on a magical run to the NFC title game in 2017 – by far, his best professional season. He’s also under contract through next year and worked with O’Connell when both were in Washington in 2019, meaning Keenum’s learning curve on this playbook would theoretically be flatter than most. And would Houston really hold him hostage given there’s probably not much more he’s got to teach Stroud?

Davis Mills, Texans: He’s Stroud’s primary backup, and the 2021 third-rounder has played a lot more NFL football (26 starts) than draftmate Lance – and under very difficult circumstances in Houston. Mills is another option who could also be a placeholder in 2024.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: He’s presently down with an ankle injury, and the remainder of his $27 million base salary would surely be a source of consternation even though Tannehill’s deal is up after the season. And yet he’s got Pro Bowl pedigree, led Tennessee to a No. 1 playoff seed not even two years ago, and his recovery might dovetail nicely enough with the circumstances – giving him time to learn the system while Mannion or Mullens holds down the fort in the short run. Worth considering if the finances can be ironed out – especially since rookie Will Levis’ performance Sunday suggests Tannehill might have already played his final snap in Nashville.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.