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Vikings quarterback rumor from ESPN reveals Minnesota's preferences among 4 veterans originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Vikings reportedly have four veteran quarterbacks on their radar in 2026, and there is a pecking order among the four, also.
It is widely known that the Vikings are looking for a veteran quarterback in 2026 after the struggles of J.J. McCarthy last season.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings are considering Kyler Murray and Geno Smith, while Tua Tagovailoa and Kirk Cousins are also "on their radar."
Fowler is also hearing that Minnesota may prefer Murray and Smith over Tua and Cousins.
"I've also heard that the Vikings are considering Murray and Smith as they outline their veteran quarterback plan. Tua Tagovailoa and Cousins are also on their radar," Fowler reported. "Some I've talked to are breaking those four into two tiers, with Murray and Smith in the first group."
The common bond between those four quarterbacks is they are all under contract with their current teams, and only Cousins is a confirmed cut, something Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham revealed at the combine.
The expectation is Murray and Tagovailoa are done with the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins, respectively, and all that's left is how each team goes about unloading their signal-caller.
Tagovailoa's injury history, lackluster play in recent years and enormous contract is going to make it extremely difficult to trade him. We would be surprised if Tua is moved in any other fashion than release.
Murray's trade market should be in a better spot thanks to the lack of guaranteed money he has left on his deal after 2026. We'd say a trade is more likely than a release.
As for Smith, the expectation is the Raiders will try to trade him, also, but a release is most definitely on the table as Las Vegas prepares to turn the page at quarterback by drafting Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall.
That said, the Raiders are loaded with cap space and aren't in a desperate position to cut Smith, which means they can take their time and hold out for a trade.
The expectation has been that Cousins would be at the top of the Vikings' list given the fact that he has experience in head coach Kevin O'Connell's system, but he has showed significant signs of decline in recent years, so the Vikings might be lukewarm on him.
Truth be told, none of these quarterbacks were good in 2025, but there's more hope for Murray and Smith to rebound in a better situation than Tua and Cousins, so it's not surprising Minnesota might prefer the former two over the latter.
In an ideal world for the Vikings, all four of these quarterbacks will be available via free agency so Minnesota doesn't have to give up draft capital.
However, the chances of that happening are slim. Again, Cousins will be out there in free agency, Tua is likely to be out there, but we'd say it's slight better than a 50/50 chance Smith and Murray hit the open market.
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