Insider: Steelers At "Some Price" Will Consider Falcons' Kirk Cousins

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had arguably the most talked about quarterback situation in the league during the 2025 offseason. The only organization that rivals them would be the Cleveland Browns, but that didn't start until late April when the franchise picked two quarterbacks in the draft. Pittsburgh's drama at the position has been going on since the first week of free agency, which is when it became clear that the team was interested in adding veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Since then, it has been obvious that both sides are interested in one another; however, Pittsburgh fans are still waiting to see if he will ever sign his deal.

Rodgers has been one of the most intriguing players in the NFL throughout the 2025 offseason, even though he isn't on an actual roster. Only time will tell if he is on one by the time the regular season rolls around, and there are other quarterbacks that need to figure things out in the meantime. One of those quarterbacks is Kirk Cousins, who is currently under a fairly lucrative deal with the Atlanta Falcons. 

He lost his starting job at the end of the 2024 season, which makes him a potential trade candidate. Steelers insider for The Athletic, Mike DeFabo, recently went on The Bettor Angle where he shared what he has learned about Pittsburgh's interest in Cousins.

"Some conversations that I had, the things that I've heard within the organization, it sounded like at some point, at some price, they'd at least have the conversation." DeFabo said. "I don't know if they would actually pull the trigger on something like that."

Trading for Cousins would be pretty complicated, and also risky. The risk stems from the fact that he is 36-years old, and he didn't look great in 2024 after suffering an Achilles injury in 2023. Cousins showed no signs of improvement throughout the year, which led to his benching. It is incredibly risky to give up draft capital for a player who might be out of gas.

The Falcons are content to hold onto Cousins as a backup due to the large amount of guaranteed money the organization owes the quarterback. The franchise does not want to pay Cousins to play elsewhere, which is why it would take significant draft capital to acquire him in a deal. 

This paired with his declining play and limited mobility makes the potential move make no sense. Rodgers has significantly less risk as he is a free agent, and he would certainly sign a deal that is worth less than Cousins'.

Pittsburgh should also avoid going with the aging, veteran quarterback route all together. Neither Rodgers or Cousins are winning any team a Super Bowl in the year 2025, they are just two more band aids to put on the quarterback position. Let Mason Rudolph start the season, and when his play inevitably begins to decline put in Will Howard. He is only a sixth-round selection, but with the situation Pittsburgh is in, he deserves a shot.

Steelers Acquiring Kirk Cousins Is More Realistic Than Ever

Now that June 1st is here, it is more likely that Cousins gets dealt than ever before. In the NFL calendar when a team waits until after June 1st to release or trade a player, that dead cap charge can be split up over the next two seasons. Had Atlanta traded Cousins prior to June 1st, the entire dead cap charge of $37.5 million would be put on the books for the 2025 season. Now it can be split between 2025 and 2026. 

The Steelers probably would not complete a trade with Atlanta if the Falcons were not willing to take on some of the remaining money on Cousins' contract. The contract could put the Steelers in a bad spot in the near future, which is the opposite of what this organization needs.

What do you think about the Steelers acquiring Cousins? Let us know in the comments below!

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