Omar Khan made it clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers will add two more players to their quarterback room. It just remains to be seen how they do that. Aaron Rodgers is still available, although the Steelers might have to wait a while for him. Pittsburgh could also trade for Kirk Cousins. Drafting a quarterback in the first round also seems to be an option for the Steelers, with Shedeur Sanders being heavily connected to them. However, ESPN insider Adam Schefter doesn’t believe the Steelers can trade for Cousins if they draft Sanders.
“I think Kirk [Cousins] wants to see how this draft goes,” Schefter said Wednesday on The Rich Eisen Show. “If they take Shedeur [Sanders], he’s not gonna want to go to Pittsburgh. That’s gonna be out.”
It’s been reported before that the Steelers don’t seem to have a lot of interest in Cousins. However, if they miss out on Rodgers, Cousins seems like the next best available veteran. If the Atlanta Falcons are willing to eat most of his massive contract and not ask for significant draft capital in return, maybe the Steelers would be more interested in Cousins.
However, Cousins also reportedly has a no-trade clause in his contract. He’d have to waive that for the Falcons to move him. If he doesn’t like a potential trade destination, he doesn’t have to go there. That means Cousins has to want Pittsburgh if they want him.
Last offseason, Cousins signed a huge deal with the Falcons in free agency. Shortly after that, they used their first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr., a quarterback. It sounds like Cousins wants to avoid being in that situation again with a first-round rookie on the depth chart with him.
The rumors connecting Sanders to the Steelers have heated up as the draft draws closer. Mike Tomlin had nothing but good things to say about him. Sanders confirmed that he felt his meeting in Pittsburgh went well. There are a lot of dots to connect.
That doesn’t guarantee that Pittsburgh is going to draft Sanders. He might not even be available when they pick at 21. However, if he is there, it sounds like they’ll consider taking him. That could make Cousins think twice about accepting a trade to Pittsburgh.
However, if the Steelers like Sanders enough to draft him in the first round, they probably won’t mind missing out on Cousins. It’s not like he’s the same player he once was. Last season, it looked like he lost a step. The possibility of trading for Cousins shouldn’t stop the Steelers from drafting a player they feel can be their next franchise quarterback.
