The Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting on Aaron Rodgers for what seems like forever. On Thursday, Rodgers joined The Pat McAfee show in an effort to clear some things up. Unfortunately for Steelers fans, that interview didn’t give much of an answer as to whether Rodgers will ultimately sign with Pittsburgh or not. If he doesn’t, the Steelers will obviously have to look at other options. One of those could be Kirk Cousins.
Reacting to Rodgers’ comments Thursday, Rich Eisen proposed an alternative at QB for the Steelers.
“Go into the season with Mason Rudolph, maybe get another vet?” he said on The Rich Eisen Show. “That’s possible, I don’t know, or you trade for [Kirk] Cousins? That’s entirely possible. Wouldn’t that be wild? That Arthur Smith tries to win a Super Bowl with Atlanta’s quarterback”
In his interview, Rodgers did speak highly of the Steelers. Specifically, he mentioned Mike Tomlin, Arthur Smith and QB coach Tom Arth as some members of the staff he respects. Overall, his remarks about the Steelers were encouraging to anybody wondering if Pittsburgh still feels like Rodgers’ the top choice.
However, Rodgers mentioned personal issues going on in his life, and didn’t take retirement off the table. Saying the Steelers are in a sticky situation is an understatement. If they don’t draft a quarterback, and Rodgers ends up retiring, or delaying his decision into the summer, where do the Steelers go from there?
At that point, Cousins probably is the best option. Once it became clear that Rodgers will take his time to make a decision, Cousins name started to float around as a potential solution. Things have quieted since, though. It seems clear that Cousins will be waiting until after the draft for any move pertaining to the 2025 season.
Cousins could be a good answer for the Steelers. He didn’t look great during the 2024 season, but that was his first year back from a torn Achilles. It’s possible that he is healthier in 2025, with another offseason of recovery behind him.
The Steelers probably didn’t imagine Cousins as their best option for the 2025 season. But if Rodgers doesn’t sign, and they don’t draft a QB, there’s a good chance that’s exactly what happens. For what it’s worth, Cousins has played to a similar level as Rodgers over the last couple of seasons. It may not be much of a difference in production.
It feels unlikely that the Steelers are going to allow their wait on Rodgers to extend too far into the summer. If that’s the case, and they don’t draft a QB, expect to hear Cousins’ name much more often.
