Vikings QB Trade Rumors: What's Real Before Tuesday's 3 P.M. Deadline

EAGAN, MN — The Minnesota Vikings have until 3 p.m. Tuesday to trade for a quarterback, and after an ugly night on Monday Night Football, several national NFL insiders say the team is expected to at least make some calls.

Whether a deal actually gets done is another question. The two quarterbacks linked to Minnesota most often have both been reported as unavailable, and some reporters who cover the team closely aren't sold on a move.

The Vikings fell 23-6 to the Buffalo Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night, their second straight loss after a 6-0 start. According to ESPN, Carson Wentz, filling in for the injured Kyler Murray, went 8 for 25 for 81 yards and two interceptions, finishing with a 2.3 QBR, the lowest of any NFL quarterback this season. Asked about a possible trade after the game, head coach Kevin O'Connell pointed to general manager Nolan Teasley and said, "We've had dialogue about a lot of different positions."

Murray is week-to-week with a hamstring strain, O'Connell said last week. Max Brosmer is the team's third quarterback.

Here's what has been reported so far.

During Monday's game, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said the Vikings will "explore their options" and named two quarterbacks who played for O'Connell in Minnesota: Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders and Daniel Jones of the Indianapolis Colts, Bleacher Report noted.

Early Tuesday, insider Jordan Schultz reported that the belief around the league is that the Vikings will try to land a quarterback before the deadline.

That followed a report last Thursday from Prime Video's James Palmer, who said a quarterback trade was on the table for Minnesota and that the Bills game could decide whether the team pulls the trigger.

The problem is supply. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported over the weekend that the Colts told Jones he won't be traded before the deadline. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that as of the weekend, the Raiders had not gotten any calls on Cousins and weren't interested in moving him. That report came before Las Vegas lost 38-17 to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday and dropped to 4-5.

Cousins, who spent six seasons with the Vikings, including two under O'Connell, told reporters after that loss that the situation "feels a little bit out of my hands," The Sporting News reported.

Closer to home, the Star Tribune's Ben Goessling wrote Sunday that a Cousins reunion looked unlikely, and ESPN's Dan Graziano said Monday morning that he doesn't buy the talk of a Vikings quarterback trade, according to a roundup of local reporting.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio argued Monday night that neither Jones nor Cousins is truly untouchable and that it comes down to price. If both prove too expensive, Florio said, the New York Jets' Geno Smith is the only other starter who might be had.

The NFL trade deadline is 3 p.m. Central on Tuesday.