Kirk Cousins is either in denial or ignoring possible Vikings trade

The Minnesota Vikings will face the Chicago Bears on Sunday in a battle of last-place teams in the NFC North. After going 13-4 last season, the Vikings have lost as many games in just five weeks this season. Now, with Kirk Cousins' contract set to expire and Justin Jefferson unable to find traction on extension talks, questions are swirling about the future of the franchise.

It's not unreasonable for fans to point to Caleb Williams' position as the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and wonder. The Vikings appear to be at an organizational crossroads with a veteran QB the team is no longer committed to. Why not tank, pray for Williams, and reset for the future?

Any realistic tank job starts with dealing Cousins for draft picks. A few teams with mediocre or unproven QBs would be eager to add the veteran, regardless of his contract status. Cousins has been one of the few respectable elements of the Vikings' offense (67.2 percent completion rate, 1,498 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INTs) and he would boost a number of fringe contenders around the NFL.

Despite the torrent of trade rumors rushing over the organization, however, Cousins appears blissfully unaware — or perhaps willfully ignorant — of the noise.

Kirk Cousins says trade rumors are "not worth my time"

The Vikings' season is all but lost. It's hard to come back from a 1-4 hole, especially with the 4-1 Detroit Lions jumping out to such a commanding lead in the division. The NFC has two unimpeachable frontrunners at the moment: San Francisco and Philadelphia. There's no conceivable path into that circle for Minnesota, so it's only right to consider a trade. Especially if the team doesn't intend to re-sign Cousins,

A notable wrinkle in these rumors is Cousins' no-trade clause. He has the ability to control his destiny to a certain extent. If he wants to stay in Minnesota, he can. If he wants to force his way to a legitimate contender, he can sidestep less desirable teams with a simple invocation of that clause.

The expected suitors for Cousins are teams with strong supporting casts but with limited arms under center. Think Atlanta, New York, Las Vegas. Young teams in the middle of rebuilds won't want Cousins. More established contenders already have their QBs in place. That makes Cousins' list of options relatively limited, but still robust enough to drum up a bidding way for the potentially prospect-hungry Vikings.

Cousins has the right mindset, at least publicly. His job is to compete as hard as possible for as long as he's in a Vikings uniform. Minnesota has been in a ton of close games against quality opponents. If the Vikings want to turn the season around, it starts with a statement win over Chicago and the red-hot Justin Fields on Sunday.

If the Skol crew can't get the job done in Chicagoland, however... expect the trade buzz volume to rise considerably.