I can’t believe I’m even addressing this rumor, but here we are. For whatever reason, Dan Graziano of ESPN recently tossed out the notion that the Minnesota Vikings could be one of the teams that emerges as a contender to trade for Baker Mayfield.

While it’s an idea I kicked around this offseason, at this point, there’s no way the Vikings are angling to trade for Mayfield. I’ll provide my reasons down below.

Kirk Cousins is firmly entrenched as the starter

For one, Mayfield shouldn’t view the Vikings as an ideal landing spot. Not for 2022 anyway.

Kirk Cousins isn’t going anywhere this year, and even if he does have a stretch where he struggles, he’s unlikely to be benched for another option on the depth chart. Cousins is a captain of the team and he has no reason to look over his shoulder as is.

While Graziano’s report centers around the idea that Mayfield could land in Minnesota with the idea of eventually taking over the following season, similar to Jameis Winston’s story with the New Orleans Saints, the QB will likely have other options.

I don’t want to discount Mayfield’s potential, I still think he’s a capable starter with above-average upside, but why would he want to risk sitting out for a whole season in 2022? Even though it looks bleak for now, chances are that Mayfield will land in a favorable situation before the year kicks off.