The Pittsburgh Steelers still appear all in on signing four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But depending on who fans listen to, a trade for Atlanta Falcons signal-caller Kirk Cousins still makes sense.
ESPN’s Ben Solak proposed the Steelers acquire Cousins from the Falcons for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. In the suggested deal, the draft selection could become a fifth-round pick if Cousins reaches “performance conditions.”
Solak proposed the Steelers also receive “cash considerations” in the trade.
“The Steelers’ quarterback room is about as thin as one could get ahead of training camp. And if signing Aaron Rodgers falls through, the Steelers must trade for a veteran who can start. Mason Rudolph is currently No. 1 on the depth chart,” wrote Solak.
“Cousins is a good fit for coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, which doesn’t need its quarterback to move much out of the pocket. This late of a draft pick is close to Cousins’ value, and I’d imagine the Falcons are still willing to swallow $20 million — maybe even more — of his salary to get this deal done.”
However, Solak’s ESPN colleague, Kimberley Martin, and Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle disputed that Cousins fits Pittsburgh’s offense.
“Kirk Cousins has a no-trade clause, so unless Kirk Cousins says, ‘You know what? Send me to the AFC North where I can get my head bashed in all the time against the Ravens and Browns and all these teams.’ I just don’t see it making sense,” argued Martin.
To Martin’s point, the AFC North is filled with dominant pass rushers. McCorkle argued that’s a bad combination with Cousins’ lack of mobility.
“I agree with Martin that the idea of Cousins makes no sense and would reek of desperation,” wrote McCorkle.
Why Steelers Could Trade for Kirk Cousins
While Martin and McCorkle made excellent points, Cousins remains a viable trade option for the Steelers because they may very well be desperate.
If they are unable to sign Rodgers, then Mason Rudolph will enter 2025 as the team’s starter. While he is 8-4-1 as a starter in his career for Pittsburgh, Rudolph has never started more than eight games in a season.
In six NFL seasons, Rudolph has failed to prove he’s anything more than a quality backup.
Behind Rudolph, the Steelers have rookie sixth-round quarterback Will Howard. The only other signal-caller on Pittsburgh’s offseason roster is former seventh-rounder Skylar Thompson.
Cousins went 7-7 while averaging 7.7 yards per pass with 18 touchdowns and a league-leading 16 interceptions last season. He will turn 37 years old in August.
With Cousins now a full year removed from his Achilles tear, just like Rodgers is, the Steelers could gamble that he will have a little more mobility and be healthier in 2025.
Although it’s not a good gamble, Solak clearly views it as better than starting Rudolph.
Why the Steelers Shouldn’t Acquire Cousins
A Steelers fan might be able to talk themselves into believing acquiring Cousins could work. But there’s a long list of reasons why the team shouldn’t do it.
McCorkle summarized the list well.
“Cousins was more or less a statue in the pocket last year in Atlanta. Unless the Steelers want to move back to an offense like in Ben Roethlisberger’s final years where almost every pass was at or behind the line of scrimmage, it doesn’t fit the overall vision for the team,” wrote McCorkle.
He concluded: “If Rodgers declines to sign, I would much prefer they proceed with Mason Rudolph and save their draft picks and cap space.”
The two sides of the Cousins debate for Pittsburgh can probably agree on one point — there are only bad options. It explains why the Steelers continue to wait for a decision from Rodgers.
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