Tom Pelissero: Steelers' interest in Kirk Cousins is absolutely real after attempted trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made some great moves so far during the 2026 offseason, but the most important position in the sport is still a question mark for the franchise. The organization has been in quarterback purgatory for years now, and it is something that fans have grown accustomed to. Another thing the fan base is used to is waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers. The quarterback did not sign until June during the 2025 offseason, and now the same thing could happen again as the four-time league MVP is weighing the possibility of retirement. Pittsburgh has to be considering other options at quarterback, and the front office is certainly doing its homework on quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Steelers have chosen to go with a veteran quarterback in recent years as opposed to reaching for a rookie in the draft or some other option. The franchise wants to "win now," but that clearly has not worked. Bringing Rodgers back would be going the veteran route, but there is another veteran quarterback who is available. Kirk Cousins was released by the Atlanta Falcons, and he is currently a free agent with the desire to continue playing football. If Rodgers decides to retire, the thought has been that Pittsburgh could pivot to Cousins. NFL insider Tom Pelissero went on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Thursday, and he shared that Pittsburgh has had interest in Cousins before.

"Kirk Cousins is the one, and I know that they called on him last year and the Falcons at the time didn't want to trade him, didn't want to engage in trade talks, but now Kirk Cousins is free," Pelissero said. "Cousins potentially could be an option if they pivot away from Aaron Rodgers, which hasn't happened yet."

Pelissero says the Steelers tried to speak with the Falcons about potentially working out a trade for the quarterback. This was likely while Pittsburgh was still waiting on a decision from Rodgers, so it was probably near the start of free agency or around the start of the offseason in general. Cousins had been benched at the end of the 2025 season in favor of then-rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Penix was the starter for the Falcons to open the 2025 season, but the franchise wanted to hold onto Cousins as a backup. Atlanta had already paid him so much money that trading him away for anything other than an unfair offer would have been foolish. He wound up getting in some games after Penix suffered a knee injury, and Cousins played pretty well for the Falcons in 2025. He had a record of 5-3 as a starter for Atlanta in 2025 while throwing for 1,721 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Cousins' play in 2024 was not great and it led to him being benched, but it is important to remember that he was coming off a rough Achilles injury. It takes time to bounce back from that, and he showed that with more time removed from the injury he could still be a pretty good quarterback.

Steelers may have competition For Kirk Cousins

If Rodgers ends up deciding to retire, the franchise also has Will Howard. However, the smart thing to do would probably be to go after Cousins. The only issue would be that other quarterback-needy teams might already be pursuing him. He is by far the most attractive veteran quarterback on the market. The Arizona Cardinals have been tabbed as a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Cousins, and that franchise could get in Pittsburgh's way if it comes down to it.