New Year, New Gear: 3 veteran quarterbacks the Steelers could pursue in 2024

These three quarterbacks would be an instant upgrade over Kenny Pickett in 2024 (and all three could be up for grabs).

Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers | Justin Berl/GettyImages
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Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings might be stuck in limbo at this point. Now their aging quarterback has an expiring contract due to a void-year contract extension that he signed in 2022. Minnesota will be eating dead money from Kirk Cousins' deal through the 2027 season, and the likelihood of the 35-year-old QB returning doesn't seem to be good.

That's where the Steelers step in. Cousins is set to be the top free-agent quarterback on the market in 2024, and Pittsburgh could be looking for an instant upgrade at the position. Coming off a ruptured Achilles that ended his 2023 season early, Cousins won't have great mobility, but it's something that he never relied on, to begin with.

What we do know is that he has proven to be one of the best pure passers in the NFL over the past several seasons. While he's getting up there in age, there's no reason the Steelers couldn't expect the savvy veteran to run the offense (and do so at a much higher level than anything we have seen since 2017).

With the Vikings' current roster, I don't believe that Cousins could win a Super Bowl. However, he may have a shot to make a strong push in Pittsburgh thanks to their defensive stars and budding young foundation. Even at his age, the Steelers would need to fork up a big contract to cousins and outbid the competitors, but they could make this happen if they are truly interested in acquiring his services.

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