The Minnesota Vikings are 6-1 and have leaned on one of the best defenses in football to get there. And that’s because the quarterback position has quickly become the 5,000-pound anchor holding this team back.

Starting QB Kyler Murray doesn’t look like the guy, after the Vikings’ 19-15 loss in Detroit on Sunday. He went 17 of 29 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, was sacked three times and came out of it with a sore hamstring.

On Monday, Kevin O’Connell confirmed Murray is still his starter as long as he’s healthy. Of course, that hasn’t stopped trade rumors from running rampant, with the Nov. 10 deadline just a week away.

Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones have already been floated as options, with one report saying Minnesota has no plans to add a quarterback and another insider saying nothing has been ruled out. In other words, welcome to trade deadline season.

Breer: The MN Vikings should call on Justin Herbert

On Tuesday, though, Albert Breer (Sports Illustrated) threw a much bigger name into the mix. In his video mailbag, the longtime NFL insider was asked whether the MN Vikings should make a call on Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert, and his answer was yes, even if the Chargers wind up hanging up on them.

“I don’t see a scenario where the Chargers make them available over the next week. You know, I wouldn’t mind the Vikings taking a swing on this. And, you know, I think the idea of trading for a player like this is similar to the idea of trading for Jeffery Simmons, where Jeffery Simmons wasn’t necessarily available.

I really think that Justin Herbert, there is a top five quarterback in there. And it’s not what I’m seeing. It’s what the rest of the league is seeing. And it’s what people I talk to are seeing. And it’s in a way that it reminds me of the way people talked about Matthew Stafford in Detroit. The way that people talk about Justin Herbert with the Chargers.

So I think that that’s in there. I think the Chargers know we got to find a way to give him that second life instead of creating that second life for him somewhere else.”

In his full breakdown, Breer said more than half the league called the Tennessee Titans about Simmons and kept hearing he wasn’t available. That was until the Chicago Bears put an offer on the table (first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 plus a 2027 fourth) that the Titans could not refuse.

That’s how Breer wants Nolan Teasley to go after Justin Herbert. More than likely, the Chargers tell him to kick rocks, but you can’t know for sure until you push your chips in the middle of the pot and call their bluff.

What a Justin Herbert trade might cost Vikings

For Justin Herbert, Breer says that offer is three first-round picks. Then, “just see what they say.” He also pointed out that Minnesota’s 2027 first-rounder is probably going to be a late one.

“And I do think the Vikings, at the very least, [if I’m Nolan Teasley,] I pick up the phone and say, could we offer you three first-round picks for him and just see what they say. You already know the first-round pick this year is probably gonna be a low one. And there is some background, I’d say, in that offense that Justin Herbert has. It’s not perfect, but he is playing for Mike McDaniel now.”

Breer goes on to say that Herbert’s offense under coordinator Mike McDaniel has “some crossover” with what O’Connell runs, then notes that Herbert throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison would be “something else.”

Remember, Herbert had people around the league (per Breer) convinced he was playing MVP-level football just one year ago, when Herbert went 11-5 as the starter, completing 340 of 512 passes (66.4%) for 3,727 yards, 26 TD, 13 INT — despite a bevy of injuries on the offensive line.

Too good for bad Chargers team to refuse… but what about the money?

The Chargers are 0-7 after a 24-9 loss to the Rams on Sunday, and Herbert has been downright brutal, throwing 10 interceptions (leads NFL) and taking 23 sacks through seven games. His passer rating is 69.3 and his QBR is 32.9, both the worst of his career. In 2025 they were 94.1 and 60.6, respectively.

The money would be far and away the biggest hurdle to getting a trade done, if Los Angeles is interested. Herbert is in the middle of a five-year, $262.5 million deal that runs through 2029, with a 2026 cap hit of more than $46.3 million.

The Minnesota Vikings have about $5.84 million in space, so a deal would mean sending a lot of salary back to Los Angeles. Herbert’s deal also includes a no-trade clause, which could give him a say in where he ends up.