Kirk Cousins to Jets talk resumes, courtesy of Adam Schefter on Pat McAfee Show
The national media's fixation on making Kirk Cousins to the Jets a reality only got stronger after the Vikings stumbled to 0-3 with Sunday's 28-24 loss to the Chargers.
Not even 24 hours after the final whistle blew at U.S. Bank Stadium, ESPN's Adam Schefter was on The Pat McAfee Show speculating that Cousins is the most "intriguing name" for the Jets.
After Aaron Rodgers blew out his Achilles four plays into his Jets tenure the talking and speculation linking the Vikings and Jets with a possible trade has slowly been getting louder and louder. The more losses the Vikings pile up the louder it is sure to get.
Schefter clarified his speculation saying, "There's nothing to that right now. Not to my knowledge."
"But the Vikings are 0-3 and they made a decision where it certainly looks like they're going in a different direction than Kirk Cousins next year," Schefter continued. "That's the one that, honestly, is a logical fit for both sides, if the Vikings want to do that. At that point they're punting on their season. Who are they turning it over to? Nick Mullens? What are you doing if you're the Vikings? It would send a bad message if you send Kirk Cousins away at this point in time."
There was also speculation coming from Jake Marsh of Barstool's Pardon My Take team, who claims that the Jets are indeed interested in Cousins after they fell to 1-2 at the weekend on the back of another woeful QB performance from Zach Wilson.
JUST IN: Sources close to the New York Jets have told @PardonMyTake that the team is interested in exploring a trade for Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.
— Jake Marsh (@PMTsportsbiz) September 25, 2023
It would certainly send a bad message if the Vikings were to trade Cousins coming off a 13-4 season, but not necessarily unexpected with how the season has started, added to the fact that the Vikings did not extend the 35-year-old quarterback this offseason. It would be confusing though after the Vikings seemingly pushed chips in on going for it this season signing Dalton Risner and trading for Cam Akers just last week.
"I don't know that they're ready or prepared to do that," continued Schefter. "That's a tough one. Even though he's going to be leaving there. Everybody believes he's leaving there after the season, right? If you wait another couple of weeks, and you hope that you turn it around, maybe they do that and then they revisit it after five or six games, before the trade deadline. Ok. That's the one that makes the most sense from all of our standpoints. The problem is, it doesn't make as much sense to the Vikings and the Jets right now. At least not to my knowledge."
As has been widely reported, Cousins has a no-trade clause in his contract, so it begs the question why would he want to go to the Jets? They're 1-2 in a division that includes the mouthwatering Miami Dolphins and Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills, so the situation he'd be swapping is arguably just as bad as it is in Minnesota right now.
Unless Cousins genuinely thinks the Jets defense is good enough to turn things around with competent quarterbacking keeping them off the field for longer, you'd put money on him staying put for now.
Purple Insider's Matthew Coller says that speculation of a Cousins trade is too early, but don't rule it out if the Vikings lose to the ailing, rebuilding Carolina Panthers at the weekend – which would pretty much signify this year's Vikings ain't it.
"It’s hard to see the Vikings making a trade involving Kirk Cousins unless they are truly out of the playoffs and Cousins wants to leave," Coller told Bring Me The Sports. "If they lose against Carolina this week, that scenario could become pretty compelling though."
Any transaction that sends a star player out of Minnesota after a disappointing start will send the signal that the season is already over, something that the Wilfs have historically been unwilling to do.
"Kirk Cousins has to be the most intriguing name for the New York Jets..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 25, 2023
To my knowledge there's nothing to that right now but it's a logical fit if the Vikings are willing to do that" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/4VRbuLoYAY
"Once you trade him, you're punting on the season," said Schefter. "Which, by the way, if you're 0-5, if you're 1-6, or something to that effect, I don't have a problem doing that and getting in the quarterback derby. They need a guy anyway, next year. It's a great draft of quarterbacks. You get extra draft pick compensation. And then what would the value be for Kirk Cousins? Who's on the last year of his deal. Who is a free agent. The Jets have Aaron Rodgers coming back next year. What are they willing to give up for a guy, when they don't even have their second-round draft pick?"
