The Pittsburgh Steelers continue waiting on Aaron Rodgers. In the meantime, Kirk Cousins is a name that’s floated amid a lot of speculation as to where he might play in 2025. The fan base got a small break from these two names during draft weekend. However, with the Steelers waiting until the sixth round to take a quarterback, it seems likely that one of Rodgers or Cousins will suit up for Pittsburgh in 2025.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport believes the Steelers remain a possibility for Cousins.
“If leaves Atlanta, where might he go?” Rapoport said Monday on The Pat McAfee Show. “And I think if Aaron Rodgers does not go to Pittsburgh, I think that might be a possibility.”
Given his current situation, Cousins going to the Steelers would make sense. He’s being paid handsomely to be the backup quarterback in Atlanta, which is far from the worst gig in the world. However, he’d probably like a chance to start somewhere, and Pittsburgh would provide that this year. According to Dianna Russini, the teams have discussed this possibility as recently as last week.
It remains clear that Rodgers is the Steelers’ first priority. They feel confident he’s coming to town, but can’t be comfortable with how long things are taking. After not drafting a QB who can readily start in 2025, they’re putting all their eggs in Rodgers’ basket.
If things go awry there, Pittsburgh might not have any option other than Cousins. Fortunately for the Steelers, Rapoport doesn’t think Cousins will have any other options either.
“It feels to me like the other possibilities kind of don’t exist,” Rapoport said. “People talked about the Vikings, they traded for Sam Howell. People talked about the Browns, okay… I don’t think he’s going there.”
The Vikings initially made sense, due to Cousins’ familiarity with the franchise. The Browns also looked like a possible destination. However, as Rapoport says, Minnesota traded for Sam Howell. The Browns took two quarterbacks during the draft, each in surprising fashion, in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Aside from Pittsburgh, it’s becoming hard to find another situation where Cousins could start.
When the offseason began, the Steelers might not have expected Cousins to be a realistic QB option for them. However, it’s about to turn May, and their QB room consists of Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Skyler Thompson. If they miss out on Rodgers, Cousins might become a player they have to acquire.
