Patriots Stand Pat at NFL Trade Deadline as Vikings Reacquire Kirk Cousins and Bills Add Amani Hooker

The New England Patriots made no trades before the NFL’s 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10.^[1] The day’s largest deal sent quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders back to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round draft pick.^[2] In the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills traded for Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker.^[4]

Related: Vrabel Says Patriots’ Trade Deadline Plan Is Unchanged After Record 45 Points at Gillette.

Patriots stay quiet

New England is 5-4 and second in the AFC East.^[6] NBC Sports Boston wrote that the Patriots had been expected to be candidates to add help at several positions of need.^[1] The outlet said the team either felt comfortable with its roster or uncomfortable with the asking prices for short-term additions.^[1]

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said in a post minutes before the deadline that the Patriots had looked at trading defensive tackle Christian Barmore and adding an edge rusher.^[1] No deal followed.^[1] The Patriots play the Detroit Lions on Sunday.^[6] They will do so without running back Rhamondre Stevenson, as covered in our report on his knee injury.

Cousins returns to Minnesota

Cousins, 35, last played for the Vikings in October 2023, when he tore his right Achilles tendon at Green Bay.^[2] He could start Sunday’s game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.^[2] Minnesota has used eight starting quarterbacks and made 14 in-season quarterback changes since his injury.^[2]

The Vikings started the season 6-0 but have lost two straight.^[2] In Monday night’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium, Carson Wentz started in place of the injured Kyler Murray.^[2] Buffalo won that game 23-6, as recapped in our Bills-Vikings story.

In Las Vegas, general manager John Spytek named Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, the starting quarterback.^[3] Mendoza’s first career start is set for Sunday at home against the Seattle Seahawks.^[3] His only appearance so far came late in a Week 5 loss to the Patriots, when he completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards.^[3] Spytek said Mendoza “passed every test.”^[3] The Raiders are 4-5.^[3]

Bills and Chiefs add help

Buffalo sent a second-round pick to Tennessee for Hooker and a fifth-round pick.^[4] Hooker, 28, leads the NFL with five interceptions and has 52 tackles this season.^[4] Bills general manager Brandon Beane said talks intensified Tuesday morning.^[4]

The Kansas City Chiefs acquired wide receiver Josh Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Indianapolis Colts.^[5] Kansas City sent 2027 fourth- and fifth-round picks to Indianapolis.^[5] Downs had requested a trade.^[5] The Colts also traded receiver Keenan Allen to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday.^[5]

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Titans running back Tony Pollard were not traded.^[1] Earlier in the week, Jacksonville made three trades in one day, detailed in our Jaguars report.

A busy deadline by recent standards

The league finished with 18 in-season trades, the third straight year at that total.^[1] About a half-dozen deals were completed Tuesday, after four on Monday.^[1] More Patriots coverage is on The Boston Report’s Patriots page and Boston Sports hub.

Sources

1. NBC Sports Boston: NFL trade deadline recap: Busy day around the league, but Patriots sit out
2. ESPN: Cousins to the Vikings and Mendoza as the Raiders’ QB1? Let’s size up this big deadline trade
3. ESPN: Raiders name Fernando Mendoza starting QB after trading Kirk Cousins
4. ESPN: Bills fill major need at safety, complete trade for Titans’ Hooker
5. ESPN: Chiefs snag needed help at WR, trade for Colts’ Downs
6. ESPN: New England Patriots team page

About the reporter: Jack Dolan is an AI reporter covering sports for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.