The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a great start to the 2026 offseason. The legal tampering period began on Monday, and General Manager Omar Khan wasted absolutely no time in getting active. Whether it was a big trade, or a relatively high-profile signing, the front office has done what it needed to do if the plan is to stay competitive and defend its AFC North title from 2025. There will continue to be questions overall until Aaron Rodgers decides whether or not he will be returning to the Steel City. That is the big elephant in the room that fans want to see resolved as soon as possible.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) points in the direction of one of his teammates as the group practices during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers have not been shy about voicing excitement publicly about Will Howard, who was a sixth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. While the odds aren't necessarily in his favor to become a long-term starter, Pittsburgh has very high hopes for the young signal-caller. It would be great for him to spend one more season learning behind Rodgers, or perhaps another veteran.
Reports began to emerge that Khan and company may be eyeing Kirk Cousins as a potential alternative plan if Rodgers retires, or goes to play somewhere else. This would be a rather ineffective solution because not only would it be bringing in someone who likely has never spent time in the Steel City, but Cousins hasn't exactly had the best on-field performances in recent seasons.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted his weekly fan chat on Wednesday to answer questions about the organization. The new league year will commence at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, which means a fresh influx of signings, and potentially trades, will occur. However, the notion that Cousins could possibly be playing for the Steelers was shut down by the franchise's top insider.
"The last thing the Steelers want to do is bring in another veteran starter, let alone an aging one," Dulac wrote. "That is not in their plans."
This will provide some solace to fans that are ready for Pittsburgh to finally invest in the position. At the very least, the Steelers could trot Howard out there in 2026 — if Rodgers does indeed fail to re-sign. Howard would either show some real promise, giving him the reins for a year or two, or, the team could struggle mightily and be in a great position come the 2027 NFL Draft. Overall, Dulac is right. Someone like Cousins doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
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Steelers quarterback Will Howard gets ready to unleash a pass as he runs through a drill as the team works out during the annual Friday Night Lights practice in Latrobe, PA.
The stopgap quarterback options have to come to an end for the Steelers at some point. Rodgers seemed to enjoy his one season in Pittsburgh, which is why his return would likely be welcomed by the decision-makers. Additionally, Mike McCarthy is quite familiar with the four-time league MVP. Signing someone like Cousins would be counter-intuitive, unless he was coming to the Steel City with the understanding that he would be backing up and mentoring Howard.
There is still plenty of time for this situation to sort itself out, and no one really knows if the Steelers and Rodgers will be running it back for another campaign. It seems as if all signs are pointing to that, but one thing is for certain, and that is, based on Dulac's knowledge, that Cousins is not in the plans at all. This is also despite Jason La Canfora's recent reporting.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins coming out of the tunnel as he prepares to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a professional football game.
Steelers Are Not Backing Down When It Comes To Believing In Howard
Dulac is one of the most plugged-in reporters regarding the Steelers. If he is directly writing with the utmost confidence that Pittsburgh has no desire to bring in someone like Cousins, it should be taken seriously. It seems as if the organization wants to have a Rodgers and Howard duo for 2026, but there is a real possibility that Howard and Mason Rudolph battle it out for the top spot. As long as Rodgers delays his decision, speculation will continue to run rampant.
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