We are just ten days and counting until the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still don't have their quarterback situation resolved. Since the free-agent market dried up, Pittsburgh has been holding out hope for a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers to join the roster, but there has been no movement on a decision from the aging veteran.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns added quarterback competition recently by signing Joe Flacco. The 40-year-old will compete with Kenny Pickett and could emerge as a stop-gap starter in Cleveland as the Browns continue their search for a long-term option.
This leaves the door open for the Steelers to land a quarterback nobody is talking about.
On Monday, Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer talked about the Browns and their once rumored interest in Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, now that Cleveland has temporarily filled their QB void with Flacco—who could earn up to $13 million in incentives in 2025—a Browns trade for Cousins wouldn't make sense.
While the Falcons aren't opposed to keeping Cousins on the roster at his current salary, Breer suggests fans should 'pay attention' to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a landing spot for Cousins.
"So where could [Kirk] Cousins go? I think Cleveland is a lot less likely now, but not completely impossible, Breer wrote in his column. "The other team I’d pay attention to is the Pittsburgh Steelers if Aaron Rodgers decides not to go there. How he fits there, with the strong personalities in that locker room, and on offense in particular, is a fair question. But you don’t have to squint too hard to envision a marriage of convenience between two sides who, once the dust settles on Rodgers, may need each other."
The Pittsburgh Steelers could trade for Kirk Cousins if Aaron Rodgers decides not to sign
This may not be the ideal match at this stage of Cousins' career, but the veteran quarterback would give the Pittsburgh Steelers an upgrade over Mason Rudolph and a servicable option if Aaron Rodgers leaves them high and dry.
Cousins is still under contract with the Falcons after signing a pricey four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta last offseason. Still, the Falcons would be willing to eat some of his contract to send him packing (which is the only thing that makes a trade doable).
But is Cousins with the hassle? Probably not. There's a reason Atlanta benched him for Michael Penix Jr. late in the 2024 season. Cousins' arm looked shot in his 13th NFL season last year. While we might be able to chalk some of this up to the quarterback being fresh off an Achilles heel injury. Cousins didn't have great tools to begin with, and I'd be concerned that he just doesn't have the arm to get the job done at this stage of his career.
There's no question that Aaron Rodgers—despite being the older player of the two—still has more left in the tank than Cousins. But the Pittsburgh Steelers can't wait forever, and Rodgers is far from a guarantee to sign. After the Cleveland Browns added another quarterback in Joe Flacco, perhaps the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the team that gives Kirk Cousins one more shot.