Door Still Open for Steelers to Land Kirk Cousins

The Pittsburgh Steelers' undivided attention is on Aaron Rodgers at the moment, but another accomplished veteran quarterback could become an option for the team if they were to lose out on the four-time MVP.

Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Atlanta Falcons signal caller Kirk Cousins may draw interest around the league once Rodgers is off the board, which could include the Steelers if they don't land the latter.

"With his $10 million guarantee for 2025 vested, Kirk Cousins is now looking at potentially slow-playing his next move," Breer wrote. "If, say, Rodgers picks the Steelers this week, I’d expect that the Giants and Cleveland Browns would have at least some interest in making a move for the Atlanta Falcons’ very pricey backup. Ditto for the Steelers if they strike out."

Cousins, after spending the prior six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, was signed to a four-year deal worth $180 million by the Atlanta Falcons last March.

The hope was that he'd come in and help the team contend while bringing a level of play to the position that the franchise hadn't seen since Matt Ryan was in his prime.

Atlanta's decision to select Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in last year's NFL Draft sent shockwaves throughout the league, however, and raised questions about the level of commitment it had towards Cousins.

The 36-year-old started the Falcons' first 14 games last season, throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over that stretch, before Penix unseated him in Week 16.

Atlanta kept Cousins on the roster long enough for his $10 million roster bonus in 2026 to guarantee, but both sides appear ready to move on from one another.

Breer added that he may wait until after this year's NFL Draft before officially facilitating or accepting a trade as he looks to avoid a situation similar to the one he endured with the Falcons.

"Rather than taking anyone’s word for it, Cousins has already signaled to teams that he would likely want to wait to see what happens over draft weekend before accepting a trade," Breer wrote. "In a way, that should also work for the teams, allowing them to go through a full draft process—and make decisions on guys such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart independent of Cousins’s destination."

According to Over the Cap, Cousins' salary for the 2025 campaign sits at $27.5 million while his cap hit comes in at $40 million. A pre-June 1 trade would saddle Atlanta with $37.5 million in dead money, but it would save $27.5 million by using a post-June 1 designation for such a move.

Given that they reportedly aren't thrilled about the idea of a Russell Wilson reunion, parting with a mid-round pick in order to acquire Cousins may represent the best alternative to Rodgers for the Steelers.