The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait for a decision from free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, but if things don’t work out with Rodgers, the Steelers have an alternative plan. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins has been on the Steelers “radar” and the team could turn to him as a plan B if they don’t sign Rodgers.
“So Rodgers plan A, Kirk Cousins could be a viable plan B. After making some calls today, I do believe he’s been on their radar. If something were to fall through with Rodgers, certainly they could reconvene, call Atlanta, see if they could shake something out. But right now, Rodgers is the guy,” Fowler said on SportsCenter.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons last offseason, but he struggled with the Falcons coming off a torn Achilles he suffered in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings. He was benched in Week 16 in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., and there have been rumblings all offseason that the Falcons could trade Cousins.
The problem for Atlanta is that there hasn’t been much of a market for Cousins, and the Steelers seem to view him as a backup option to signing Rodgers, who still remains a free agent. Rodgers hasn’t publicly issued much assurances on his playing future, and retirement remains a possibility for him. With OTAs for the Steelers beginning next week and mandatory minicamp beginning June 10, the Steelers may want to have an answer from Rodgers by at least the start of minicamp.
If they don’t have an answer, the team could look to move on. Cousins represents the next best available option. He likely wouldn’t cost much, and the Steelers could look to engage quickly if they don’t feel they’ll wind up landing Rodgers. As it stands now, the Steelers are still content on waiting for Rodgers to make a decision, but Cousins represents a viable alternative.
It’s not the first time that the Steelers have been linked to Cousins, as NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport also reported that the Steelers are still a possibility for Cousins. It would be a bit of a twist in Pittsburgh’s quarterback saga if they turned to Cousins, but with the team still seeking a quarterback, it would make sense that they try to acquire him if things go sideways with Rodgers.
Pittsburgh is the only true quarterback-needy team remaining that could theoretically trade for Cousins. While it seems unlikely right now, acquiring Kirk Cousins could be a real possibility in a few weeks if they don’t have an answer from Rodgers.
