Following a 23-6 Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell left the door open regarding a potential quarterback trade ahead of the 4:00 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday.
The defeat dropped the Vikings to 6-2 on the year, positioning them third in the NFC North. While the defense remains among the best in the NFL, boasting the league’s best defense, the offense has putridly struggled significantly throughout the 2026 NFL season with both Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz having underwhelmed while under center.
"We've had dialogue about a lot of different positions." Kevin O'Connell on if he has given any thought to acquiring a QB before the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/gPD3aaqD8z
Carson Wentz completed 8 of 25 pass attempts for 81 yards, throwing two interceptions and recording an 8.9 passer rating during the Monday night home defeat. Meanwhile, Kyler Murray missed the game due to a hamstring injury and remains week-to-week, having previously thrown for 1,022 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions while completing 64.9% of his passes.
At 162.3 passing yards per game, Minnesota now ranks 31st in that category, better than only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a team that secured a Week 8 victory against the Atlanta Falcons without completing a single pass.
Speaking to reporters after the game, O’Connell addressed the offensive performance directly, noting that the defense was on the field too much and that the team made some plays in the kicking game but fell far short of what they want to be offensively.
In no way, shape, or form was tonight acceptable,
Kevin O’Connell, Vikings Coach, via AOL
O’Connell added, I told the team it starts with me 100 percent, and the defense was on the field too much; I thought they battled and thought we made some plays in the kicking game, just not even close offensively to what we want to be.
When questioned about whether the organization would pursue a trade for a quarterback before the deadline, O’Connell directed inquiries to the front office.
I’ll defer to Nolan [Teasley] on that. We’ve had dialogue about a lot of different positions. And tight turnaround obviously playing the Monday night game before that, and we’ll get right to work on any potential moves that can be there. But really just focused on the game tonight, which was not good enough in any way, shape, or form.
Kevin O’Connell, Vikings Coach, via Nbcsports
The Indianapolis Colts previously informed quarterback Daniel Jones that he will not be traded before the deadline, despite Minnesota being considered a potential suitor. Other discussed quarterback options mentioned in reporting include Kirk Cousins, who currently plays for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Securing Cousins via trade would simultaneously upgrade Minnesota’s offensive unit and clear the path for the Raiders to hand the offensive reins to Fernando Mendoza, chosen first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even Daniel Jones or going all in to make a deal for Justin Herbert have been suggested as potential moves to improve the situation.
