Similar to years prior, the quarterback position has been the story of the offseason for the Steelers. Last year, it was Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. This year, even with Organized Team Activities (OTAs) underway, the most talked-about names aren’t even on the roster yet. Despite that, CBS Sports’ Kyle Long still believes the Steelers have a plan at QB.
“It’s obvious to me that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a plan in place to bring in a quarterback that’s ready to play football,” Long said on CBS Sports HQ on Tuesday. “I’ve heard the name Kirk Cousins floated. I’ve heard, obviously for a long time now, Aaron Rodgers floated. I think that the latter will be the right answer.”
As Long mentions, Rodgers is the top name in these conversations. At the beginning of the offseason, the Steelers declined to get in a bidding war for Justin Fields and Sam Darnold and showed zero interest in Russell Wilson. With those options gone, Rodgers quickly became the Steelers’ top choice at QB.
Back then, they probably didn’t envision going into OTAs without an answer from Rodgers. Unfortunately, that’s exactly where we’re at, and there’s no telling when that wait might come to an end. NFL insider Adam Schefter even speculates that the Steelers could end up waiting all the way until the start of the regular season for a decision.
If it’s not Rodgers, Kirk Cousins feels like plan B, as Long alludes to. Cousins didn’t show up for OTAs in Atlanta this week, amidst a murky situation there, to say the least. He was signed to a massive contract last offseason, only for the Falcons to use a first-round pick on Michael Penix just a month later. After being benched for Penix late in the year, Cousins doesn’t seem to be en route to any meaningful playing time in Atlanta in the near future, barring any unfortunate injuries.
With that in mind, he’s finding his name in trade talks. However, his contract does complicate things. How much would the Steelers feel comfortable giving up in a trade for Cousins? Especially since he’s nearing the age of 40, and looked poor coming off an Achilles injury in 2024.
Whether it’s Rodgers or Cousins, the Steelers are going to be relying on an aging QB with significant injuries not too far in their rearview mirrors. Of course, the Steelers do have Mason Rudolph on their roster as well, and he could be an option. He’s already earning some high praise during OTAs this week, with Roman Wilson calling him an ‘elite quarterback’.
Long is right to assume the Steelers have a plan in place at the quarterback position. That doesn’t mean it’s an exciting plan, though. It feels likely that one of Rodgers, Cousins, or Rudolph trots out on the field as the Steelers’ quarterback in Week 1. Although Pittsburgh obviously wants to figure out which one it will be sooner rather than later.
