Insider questions stories linking Steelers to Falcons' Kirk Cousins amid Aaron Rodgers uncertainty

Following the Memorial Day holiday, whispers seemed to grow louder among reporters suggesting that the Pittsburgh Steelers could pursue a trade for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins if free agent Aaron Rodgers remains unsigned when players start reporting for training camp in late July. 

During a recent appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk/NBC Sports questioned whether or not the Steelers would have any interest in starting Cousins over longtime backup Mason Rudolph this coming September.

"I'm not even sure the Steelers want him," Florio said about Cousins, as shared by Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot. "Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator, surely knows enough people with the Falcons to get an unvarnished viewpoint of why they think [Cousins] fell apart last year, 13 weeks in, and has flashes from time to time throughout the season of a guy who just didn't have it anymore."

Smith served as head coach of the Falcons from 2021-23 and presumably still has at least some friends within that organization. Meanwhile, Cousins went 6-3 in his first nine starts with Atlanta before he tossed eight interceptions and zero touchdown passes over four consecutive losses. The 36-year-old then completed just 11-of-17 passes for 112 yards with a score and a pick in Atlanta's 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders before 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. took over as the club's QB1. 

Penix is now the Falcons' full-time starter. 

Even before it was learned that Cousins dealt with elbow, shoulder and ankle issues last fall, analysts noted that he "wasn’t driving the ball quite the same" coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in October 2023. People within the Falcons allegedly feel that "some of that mobility and a lot of that arm strength will come back this season with Cousins another year removed from the Achilles," but Florio isn't quite sold on such takes. 

"They may not want a guy like Kirk Cousins at this stage of his career," Florio added about a Steelers side that reportedly would be fine with having to start Rudolph in Week 1. "He needs to get his whole body into the throws. Rodgers still has that flick of the wrist and it goes 70 yards."

By all accounts, signing and playing Rodgers remained Pittsburgh's preference regarding its quarterback situation as of the morning of June 5. Perhaps the Steelers would become more interested in taking a flier on Cousins if the Falcons release the unhappy veteran before Rodgers puts pen to paper on a deal.