The Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback dilemma on their hands that could worsen. The latest rumors suggest that Aaron Rodgers is seeking a $30 million contract for the 2026 season, and the Steelers are expected to have a decision before the 2026 NFL Draft.
Not only could the Steelers miss out on Rodgers, but their potential top backup plan could sign with a team soon.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero recently joined The Rich Eisen Show, where he revealed the Steelers called the Atlanta Falcons regarding a Kirk Cousins trade last offseason. Pelissero said that Cousins could be an option if Pittsburgh pivots from Rodgers.
“Kirk Cousins is the one, and I know they called on him last year, and the Falcons at the time didn’t want to trade him, didn't want to engage in trade talks...
But now Kirk Cousins is free. Cousins, potentially, could be an option if they pivot away from Aaron Rodgers, which hasn’t happened yet.”
While rolling with free-agent Cousins for the 2026 season would feel underwhelming, he might be just as good an option as Rodgers at this stage of their careers. But Cousins might not be on the market for long.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay recently told reporters that adding Kirk Cousins as the backup to Matthew Stafford is an option, per NFL insider Ari Meirov. McVay and Cousins were together in Washington before McVay became the Rams’ head coach.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could miss out on Kirk Cousins while holding out hope for Aaron Rodgers
Let me be clear: neither Aaron Rodgers nor Kirk Cousins is an excellent option to lead the charge at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026. Quite frankly, general manager Omar Khan would be wise to turn the page on the stopgap QB options and go with a quarterback who at least has the potential to push the agenda forward beyond the 2026 season.
But if the goal is to attempt to win playoff games this year—and team president Art Rooney II made it clear that's the case—Pittsburgh could lose the top remaining options on the market.
If Rodgers spurns the Steelers because the two parties can't come to terms on contract details, shifting gears to the Cousins backup plan might be off the table at that point. In 2025, Cousins started eight games with the Falcons, going 5-3 as a starter while throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Cousins recorded just 172.1 passing yards per game last season, but earned a higher QBR (47.6) than Rodgers has had in any year over the past four seasons. Meanwhile, Cousins' 76.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus tied Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for 16th in the NFL last year, while Rodgers' 68.0 PFF grade tied Joe Flacco for 28th in the league.
The Steelers seem to have all of their eggs in the basket of a quarterback who turns 43 during the 2026 season. But if they don't act fast with Kirk Cousins, they could lose their top backup plan to an opponent.