EAGAN, Minn. -- The quarterback room is coming together for the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota finalized a trade with Denver for quarterback Trevor Siemian, sources confirmed to ESPN. Additionally, the Broncos are sending a late-round 2018 draft pick to the Vikings in exchange for a 2019 pick.
Siemian will assume the role of Kirk Cousins' backup quarterback in Minnesota. Cousins, who played under the franchise tag for the last two seasons in Washington, will visit the Twin Cities on Wednesday and is expected to sign a three-year, $84 million fully guaranteed contract Thursday.
Siemian comes with a salary-cap hit of about $2 million, which is significant for the Vikings considering what they will pay for Cousins.
Siemian started 24 games over the last two seasons before suffering a subluxation in his left shoulder in December, the same shoulder he had surgically repaired twelve months prior. In Denver, Siemian threw 30 touchdowns and 24 interceptions with a 59.3 completion percentage.
In 2017, Siemian and the Broncos got off to a 2-0 start in which he was tied with Detroit's Matthew Stafford for the most passing touchdowns in that span, with six.
From Week 3 on, Siemian had the worst qualifying TD-INT ratio of 6-to-12 and the worst Total QBR (19), according to ESPN Stats and Information.
The fourth-year QB enters a situation in Minnesota that could provide stability to his young career with the opportunity to serve as an understudy to Cousins and work with first-year Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
The Broncos signed former Vikings quarterback Case Keenum to a two-year deal worth $36 million as the free agency period opened on Wednesday afternoon. With former first-round pick Paxton Lynch and last year's last overall pick Chad Kelly in the mix, plus the prospect of the Broncos choosing to draft a quarterback from this year's class, Denver decided to deal their former starter to the Vikings.
Siemian is now one of two ex-Broncos quarterbacks on Minnesota's roster, joining second-year reserve Kyle Sloter, who went from a practice-squad member to Keenum's backup early last season.