A former Vikings QB considered to be under heavy pressure in 2026

The quarterback situation for the Minnesota Vikings has been a whirlwind experience for fans over the last decade. They thought they had their franchise answer in Kirk Cousins, only for him to get the team over the hill but not the mountain. They saw Sam Darnold arrive to play hero when their top draft pick, J.J. McCarthy, went down for the year only for him to leave town and win a Super Bowl this year with the Seattle Seahawks.

Now, in the present day, it is J.J. McCarthy's situation to handle after fumbling his chances in 2025, and the team has brought in Kyler Murray to compete. However, it isn't just McCarthy who is under the microscope, but also a former Vikings quarterback.

Kirk Cousins is now in Las Vegas, teammates with the top draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While Vikings fans will focus on their competition, it is the play of Cousins that always stays in the back of fans' minds. So when Bleacher Report identified him as a quarterback to be under the radar, we had to take a look.

Bleacher Report's Moe Moton looked at the situation with Kirk Cousins and wrote, "Kirk Cousins accepted the pressure that comes with joining a team that has the No. 1 overall pick and a need at quarterback. . .Cousins is familiar with the pressure of playing ahead of a rookie first-rounder. He expects to compete for the Raiders' lead job. If the 37-year-old loses the battle, he would take on a mentor role as a backup for the rookie."