The Minnesota Vikings’ decision to place Justin Jefferson on injured reserve this week made an already difficult season even more bleak. The Vikings have won only one of their first five games and the loss of their star wide receiver for at least four games has left many wondering whether the front office will decide to make moves by the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
If the Vikings trade veterans, it would land them draft picks and, if the team isn’t going to compete for a playoff spot, there would be few complaints about general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah turning his focus to the future.
The name that gets brought up most often is quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is in the final season of his contract. But the 35-year-old has a no-trade clause in his deal and it seems unlikely he would be willing to waive it unless his new team gave him a contract extension. That would require Cousins to be willing to commit to that club.
Why wouldn’t Cousins just play out his final season in Minnesota and then hit the free agent market and go through the same process he did in 2018 before signing with the Vikings? This would enable him to allow teams to bid on his services and give him far more control.
There are other players who would be easier to trade and could get the Vikings the type of return that would interest them. Here are five who could be candidates to be jettisoned before November.