Coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain the only team in the league without a clear starting quarterback. As they continue to wait on Aaron Rodgers, acquiring Kirk Cousins from the Atlanta Falcons is still a potential option.
Should the 41-year-old Rodgers decide to retire or shockingly sign with another team, Cousins is still a viable backup target, according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager. Despite the Falcons claiming they would not move Cousins, Schrager sees the veteran as a liability.
“Kirk Cousins’ name was coming up throughout the draft,” Schrager said on ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’ “If Pittsburgh doesn’t get Aaron Rodgers, is that the move? I think Cousins is still a viable trade target, as much as [the Falcons] want to talk out of both sides of their mouths. Fact of the matter is, you’re paying a wild amount of money [to] a backup quarterback right now, and he’s still a viable starting quarterback. If there is a seat on the carousel that’s open, it is Pittsburgh. I would keep an eye on that one.”
Despite signing Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million deal in the 2024 offseason, the Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick of the ensuing draft. After he struggled late in the year, Atlanta benched Cousins ahead of Week 16 for the rookie southpaw. With the team now preparing for Penix’s first full season as the starter, Cousins’ brief tenure with the team appears to be all but over.
Schrager pointed out that Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris and Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin still have a relationship from when they were assistant coaches for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers together. Tomlin was the team’s defensive backs coach from 2001 to 2005, with Morris serving as his assistant for his final two seasons.
Steelers’ perplexing offensive outlook without Aaron Rodgers
After trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers’ offensive roster will be nearly official once they finally add a quarterback. Until then, the team begrudgingly proceeds with Mason Rudolph as the de facto QB1 and sixth-round rookie Will Howard as their tentative future.
The Pickens trade was the Steelers’ second significant move of the offseason. Pittsburgh previously acquired disgruntled star DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. Without Pickens on the roster, Metcalf is free to fully take the reins as the star of the offense, but still has no idea who he will be catching passes from in 2025.
After letting Najee Harris go in free agency, Pittsburgh replaced him in the backfield by taking Kaleb Johnson in the third round. The move made economic sense, but still drew ire among some fans with the team passing on quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
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