Vikings don’t need Jonathan Taylor, they need old friend Kirk Cousins

The Minnesota Vikings dropped their first game of the 2026 season on Sunday in Detroit. In a game the Vikings led in the middle of the fourth quarter, Minnesota fell 19-15 to the Lions. Despite the loss, the Vikings still lead the NFC North with a 6-1 record, but Minnesota has been playing with its food for much of the season. Brian Flores’ defense is what has kept the Vikings afloat. Minnesota’s defense leads the league, allowing just over 13 points per game and the Vikings’ defense wreaks havoc against the quarterback. Despite trading away Jonathan Greenard this offseason, the Vikings are second in the league with 25 sacks — one behind the Steelers. But the offense is what has been a disaster. They traded away J.J. McCarthy and made Kyler Murray their starting quarterback. Minnesota has the No. 29 total offense in the league and the Vikings have 12 total touchdowns. Only the Chargers have fewer this season with nine.MORE: NFL contenders & pretenders after Week 8Vikings need to make a call for an old friendIndianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in Week 6. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)It’s no secret that teams want Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. He is the biggest name rumored to be traded at the deadline, and the Vikings are among the top suitors. Taylor is as accomplished as a running back as there is and he would certainly add flash to the Vikings’ run game. But here’s the thing, the Vikings are 17th in the NFL, averaging nearly 114 yards per game on the ground. The Colts are right above Minnesota, ranked 16th, averaging 116 yards per game. Taylor is the flashy name, but the Vikings had a good enough duo with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. The Vikings are in win-now mode after trading their former first-round quarterback for a fifth-round pick. Minnesota continues to waste a talented pass-catching room that features Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson. If the Vikings want to win, they don’t need Taylor; they need to make a call for Kirk Cousins.Cousins knows the offense and is playing at a high levelNov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) drops back to pass against the New York Jets in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)The Las Vegas Raiders are 4-4 and while they don’t want to give up, the chances aren’t high of Las Vegas making a big run this season. The Raiders are rebuilding and they drafted Fernando Mendoza with the first-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He is the future and Cousins knows that. But the facts are, Cousins is third in the NFL with 2,124 yards this season. Cousins has 19 touchdown passes and five interceptions, and some teams would love to add the veteran gunslinger to their quarterback room. Why not the Vikings?Cousins had arguably the best stretch of his NFL career with the Vikings from 2020-2022 before an injury cut his season short in 2023. He left Minnesota for the Atlanta Falcons and everyone knows how that turned out. Kevin O’Connell and Cousins were a good pairing and Jefferson loved the connection with Cousins. It’s clear that Jefferson is over the constant quarterback issues in Minnesota, and the Vikings need to keep their franchise wide receiver happy. It’s not clear what the Raiders would want for Cousins, but Minnesota needs to pick up the phone and ask. Anything will be better than the Vikings’ current 31st-ranked passing attack with Kyler Murray at the helm. —Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —