A new rumor reveals the proven quarterbacks the Minnesota Vikings targeted on Tuesday before completing a trade for franchise great Kirk Cousins.

The Vikings emerged as one of the most active teams on the trade market before Tuesday’s NFL deadline. However, they were in search of just one position: a new starting QB. Despite having the best defense in the league and some good weapons on offense, the underwhelming play at the position this season is a big reason why NFL pundits doubt Minnesota can reach the Super Bowl early next year.

However, after reportedly searching around before the 4:00 PM ET trade deadline, the Vikings found their man, and it is someone they were very familiar with. A couple of hours before trades were outlawed by the league, Minnesota completed a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for Cousins.

Cousins’ return to the team he played six seasons with offers the Vikings renewed hope. Since he and head coach Kevin O’Connell have had success together in the past, and the 38-year-old has shown this season that he can still play at a high level. However, while rumors linked the team to a trade for the four-time Pro Bowler over the last couple of weeks, he was not their first choice.

Minnesota Vikings pursued three other QBs before trade deadline, including Justin Herbert

According to Jordan Schultz, the Vikings also failed in attempts to make trades for Los Angeles Chargers QB1 Justin Herbert, Indianapolis Colts starter Daniel Jones, and New York Jets signal caller Geno Smith before agreeing to a deal with the Raiders.

“The Colts listened but did not want to move Jones, while the Jets felt Smith was too important to the team and the development of other players,” the NFL insider wrote. “The Chargers, I’m told, immediately shut down all inquiries for Herbert, who also has a no-trade clause.”

The Chargers declining all inquiries is no surprise. Despite a disastrous season, he is still a young and talented QB who is probably having a down year with a bad offensive coordinator choice. However, the Colts and Jets not moving either Jones or Smith is a bit surprising.

Both franchises are in the midst of losing seasons, and neither player is a part of their long-term plans. However, the pair of teams are still deciding if they want to keep their head coaches. So they may have felt that moving their starting QBs would not allow for a fair assessment of those coaches in the second half of the campaign.