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By Ellis Williams
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The Minnesota Vikings found a quarterback willing to come back.
First, they checked on one the Los Angeles Chargers had no intention of letting go.
Minnesota inquired about quarterback Justin Herbert before reaching its reported deal for quarterback Kirk Cousins, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday. The Chargers immediately rejected inquiries about Herbert, drawing a firm line around their franchise quarterback despite a winless start to the season.
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“The Chargers, I’m told,” Schultz wrote, “immediately shut down all inquiries for Herbert, who also has a no-trade clause.”
The report did not identify an offer or describe negotiations over compensation. It also did not say Herbert was asked to waive his no-trade clause. Minnesota made the inquiry, and Los Angeles closed the conversation.
Herbert was part of a broader search. Schultz reported that the Vikings also contacted teams about quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Geno Smith. The Indianapolis Colts listened but did not want to trade Jones. The New York Jets considered Smith too valuable to the team and the development of other players to move him.
Minnesota ultimately landed on a familiar answer. Schultz reported that the Las Vegas Raiders were trading Cousins back to the Vikings, reuniting him with head coach Kevin O’Connell. Cousins previously earned three Pro Bowl selections during his first stint in Minnesota.
The urgency followed a 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. Quarterback Carson Wentz completed eight of 25 passes for 81 yards and two interceptions. The Vikings failed to convert any of their eight third-down attempts and fell to 6-2.
That left Minnesota trying to improve an offense that had just wasted another opportunity to strengthen its position in the NFC. The search was not limited to a short list of obvious trade candidates, as the call about Herbert showed.
Los Angeles has its own problems. The Chargers fell to 0-8 after a 44-22 home loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. A difficult season, however, did not mean their most important player was available.
The Chargers selected Herbert sixth overall in the 2020 draft and signed him to a multiyear extension in July 2023. By then, he had already set franchise single-season records with 5,014 passing yards and 38 touchdown passes in 2021.
Herbert’s early production explains why the Chargers invested in him. He topped 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons and earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors after throwing 31 touchdown passes in 2020. Those accomplishments predate the current struggles, but they remain the foundation of a career Los Angeles has chosen to keep.
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