Vikings' Cousins: Trade talk 'not worth my time'
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins isn't worried about the speculation regarding his future ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
"I am just very focused on the (Chicago) Bears and going 1-0 this week," Cousins said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "And anything else is not worth my time or energy or attention."
It's been rumored that the 1-4 Vikings could move some of their veteran players with expiring contracts, including Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler has been mentioned as a potential target for the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.
The 35-year-old declined to answer whether he would consider waiving the no-trade clause in his contract this season, per Seifert.
Cousins, who's been in Minnesota since 2018, insisted he isn't aware of the speculation around the NFL.
"Ignorance is bliss, and I'm just really ignorant," he said. "I don't really have access to a whole lot, and I try to do that by design. So it's pretty intentional."
The Michigan State product added, "I really don't know what's going on. I've been insulated at times to the point of being naive and a little stupid, but I'd rather err on that side than consuming everything."
A fourth-round pick in 2012, Cousins spent his first six seasons with the Washington Commanders before joining the Vikings, with whom he's started 85 games. He's completed 67.2% of his passes and leads the league in completions (137), attempts (204), and touchdown passes (13) in 2023. His 101.7 passer rating currently ranks seventh.
It won't be easy for the Vikings - who visit the Bears in Week 6 before hosting the San Francisco 49ers - to bounce back, as they recently lost reigning Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson to a hamstring injury. The star receiver has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games.
The Vikings currently have a 41.5% chance of earning a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a 13% chance of being in the top five, according to ESPN. Next year's quarterback-heavy draft class presumably will be headlined by USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye, among other stud passers.