The 8 different routes the Steelers can go at quarterback in 2024

Steelers could land the top free agent in Kirk Cousins

If the Steelers truly want to start anew in their quarterback room, they could go all out to land the top name on the market in Kirk Cousins. It seemed like the Vikings were trying to make a run this year with Cousins at the helm, but his Achilles injury has derailed that. He has handled the Vikings quarterback job for a few seasons, but that may be coming to an end.

The Vikings could bring him back, but they may also choose to go through a rebuild and try to land a rookie quarterback in the future. Cousins has kept the team competitive, but various other issues have caused the team to falter. Given his age, Minnesota may be ready to move on.

Of the potential names, Cousins is easily the best tier of quarterback that would be available. While he isn’t at the top level of all quarterbacks, he is arguably in that next tier. He leads a team well, seems to be liked by his coaches, and he is a productive player.

There are risks with bringing Cousins in. For starters, he won’t be cheap. Considering the deal Carr got in free agency last year, you are likely looking at over 40 million a season for Cousins at the minimum. Achilles injuries are also a hard thing to recover from, granted he didn’t rely on mobility before to win.

The Vikings may also opt to keep him around. If they did, your next best option would be Ryan Tannehill, but he seems washed based on his recent play. That said, he has a proven track record of success, but will also likely be expensive and carry his own risks.

If you brought in Cousins, it would mean the end of the Pickett era. While you could keep him as a backup, you may also try and deal him in order to get resources to build up the team. It would be a short-term solution, but it could yield some quick and positive results.

That said, I’m not overly keen on this option, as Cousins would cripple the cap space we have and limit the team long-term. He hasn’t led the Vikings to any substantial success in the playoffs, so it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for the team to throw a lot of money at him and expect something different.