Don’t be surprised if the Vikings make a trade today for an established quarterback and give up a king’s ransom to do it.
The franchise is desperate to upgrade its sometimes mediocre and other times dismal quarterback play and offense. Carson Wentz’s embarrassing performance last night and the failure of the offense to score a touchdown have increased urgency to make a high profile deal.
Wentz, who threw two interceptions and completed just 32 percent of his passes last evening, replaced starter Kyler Murray against the Bills. Murray, with a hamstring injury, has struggled this fall and might not have done much better than Wentz in the 23-6 loss.
The Vikings, now 6-2, have a brilliant defense that has carried the team this season, along with the field goal kicking of Will Reichard. It might be the best defense in franchise history and more than capable of doing its share in a Super Bowl win.
It doesn’t look like the Vikings can hang with the best teams in the NFL, though, without some semblance of an offense. The window is now for improving the points production as the NFL trade deadline approaches at 3 p.m. Minneapolis time.
The view here is the desperate Vikings will go so far as offering multiple draft picks for a quarterback. The package could include a first rounder.
That may sound extreme, but it might be a long time before the Vikings have a defense like now. The Wilf ownership has had the franchise since 2005, but never made the Super Bowl, and could be willing to ask new general manager Nolan Teasley to roll the dice today in a potential move that might define his career.
The gambling could be done with a Las Vegas connection. The Raiders have rookie first round pick Fernando Mendoza to replace Kirk Cousins who has been impressive this season as the starter. The Raiders are also building their roster and could be more than interested in acquiring more draft capital.
The 38-year-old Cousins ranks fifth in passing yards this season with 2,340. He is second in the NFL in touchdown passes with 20.
A high character guy who takes care of his body, Cousins could play at a high level again next season. He also, of course, played for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell for two seasons before signing as a free agent with the Falcons.
Familiarity with O’Connell and the complex Viking offense is a valued asset. Cousins could make the easiest of transitions in coming to Minnesota of any NFL quarterback.
Other names that make sense are Daniel Jones of the Colts and Matthew Stafford from the Rams. Jones had a brief tenure with the Vikings before signing with the Colts who are having a fire sale this fall. Stafford, a Super Bowl winning quarterback and 38-years old, was with the Rams when O’Connell was offensive coordinator in 2021. A savvy organization, the Rams might be looking to move on from their veteran quarterback with the team off to a disappointing start if they can receive a king’s ransom in draft selections.
The clock (and season) are ticking.
Tommies and Gophers Energized The Barn
There was excitement in The Barn last Friday night when the Gophers and Tommies played their first basketball game against one another since 1934. In a bit of a “David” versus “Goliath” match up, the mid-major Tommies had a small contingent of fans making noise (“overrated” was heard) while most of the announced crowd of 10,604 cheered on the Power Four conference Gophers from the Big Ten.
The physically bigger, more talented and deeper Gophers controlled the game, leading 40-22 at halftime and winning 76-62. Minnesota led in the 40-minute game for almost 36 minutes.
Minnesota coach Niko Medved has been urged to play the cross-town Tommies since he was hired as Gophers coach in March of 2025. A portion of the fanbase and media like the idea of an annual game against the Tommies who are a favorite to win the Summit League title.
Among those who have beat the drum for starting a Twin Cities rivalry is Nadine Babu, the high-profile social media specialist who many fans know from GopherHole.com. She told Sports Headliners the game was a “reward to the season ticket holders because they sit through a lot of really boring nonconference games” year after year.
“I thought it (the game) was fantastic. I think the crowd was great. You don’t get this kind of experience from a lot of other nonconference games. They’re (the Tommies) a good competitor. It should absolutely be a rivalry.”
Power conference teams are reticent to play lower level but strong opposition because a loss could negatively impact their resume for selection to the NCAA Tournament in March. Babu dismissed the idea of a November 6 loss costing Minnesota or another team an invitation, opining that in such circumstances the Power Four team just isn’t deserving having not build a strong enough resume after the early season defeat.
“I thought it was great for basketball in the Twin Cities,” Medved said after the game. He added that “who knows” regarding a future game with the Tommies and their revered coach John Tauer who led his alma mater to a Division III national title in 2016.
Most elite college programs won’t schedule the Tommies because a match up can end in an upset, even though the game is in their home gyms. The Gophers have little to gain in reputation by meeting up with the Tommies. Win big and it’s ho-hum. Win in a squeaker or lose, and it’s Minnesota isn’t very good.
In several years St. Thomas might be a member of the prestigious Big East Conference. That could be the next time they’re welcome to play the Gophers, although the Tommies would be willing to sign up for a rematch tomorrow.
Last night Minnesota earned an impressive road win at Cincinnati against the Bearcats when Gopher forward Bobby Durkin made a three-point shot with less than a second to play. The 63-61 win pushed the Minnesota record to 3-0 this season.
Worth Noting
Good genes: St. Thomas junior guard Austin Herro is the younger brother of NBA star Tyler Herro now with the Bucks. Junior forward Kyle Counts is the grandson of two-time Celtics NBA champion Mel Counts.
The Wild’s Quinn Hughes was effusive in praise of his team the other night in a First Star interview on the ice at Grand Casino Arena after a 4-1 win over the Sharks. He liked last year’s team but said the Wild could be even better now, and “we’re going to be dangerous.”
In the Friday night win the gifted defenseman earned his 100th career multi-assist game. He became the fourth-fastest active player to reach that mark, trailing forwards Connor McDavid (398 games), Sidney Crosby (465) and Artemi Panarin (522).
Wild sideline reporter is referring to Hughes as the “Magic Man.”
Still pondering how the football Gophers could have played so poorly in their 41-13 road loss to the mediocre Purdue Boilermakers? Purdue defensive coordinator Kevin Kane was on the Minnesota staff in 2025 and had detailed knowledge of the Gophers schemes, tendencies and personnel. Kane, BTW, was fired over the weekend after a deflating 34-29 loss in which Maryland scored 27 second half points.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney, who in his first year has taken last season’s 3-9 club to a No. 4 Associated Press national ranking, looks like the second-coming of Indiana savior Curt Cignetti. Both are elite talent evaluators who have used large numbers of quality but undervalued transfers to immediately flip their programs from misery to glory.
The 9-0 Bruins, who defeated the Gophers 34-20 last Saturday, are fueled by 63 newcomers, including a Big Ten high 46 transfers and 17 freshmen. Thirteen of the transfers started 10 games or more during the 2025 season.
Programs like Minnesota, while active in the transfer program, believe in a developmental process relying more on high school talent that can be on their rosters for up to five years. Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck likes the longer process to develop talent and maintain the culture in his program.
Tim Murray, the Murray’s Restaurant owner and a frequent attendee at World Series games over the years, watched three this fall in St. Petersburg between the Brewers and Rays, including the title clinching game by Milwaukee. The longtime Sports Headliners advertiser is a passionate baseball, basketball, football and hockey fan.
With the surprising upset of Moorhead by Prior Lake last week, undefeated Champlin Park could be on track to win the Class 6A football playoffs. Park plays twice defeated Forest Lake Thursday at Spring Lake Park.
In a second-round playoff game last week Park dominated Wayzata in a 48-13 victory with senior running back and college prospect Preston Nelson rushing for 192 yards and catching a touchdown pass from quarterback Cash Miller.