The Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision on his football future for nearly three months. The free agent signal-caller has been linked to Pittsburgh since the first day of free agency and even visited the franchise's facility. However, there hasn't been much movement regarding the Steelers' pursuit of Rodgers since March.
Though Rodgers could finally make up his mind and sign with Pittsburgh, there's also a chance he retires or goes a different avenue. If this scenario transpires, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes the Steelers' backup plan could be Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
"I had some conversations with people this week that led me to believe that Cousins is at the very least on the Steelers’ radar, if something were fall through on Rodgers," Fowler said on SportsCenter on Saturday. "There was interest earlier in the offseason. Right now, Pittsburgh might be the only hope for Cousins or he’s stuck in Atlanta."
Cousins had a rough 2024 campaign, as the veteran tied for the league lead in interceptions thrown with 16 and was benched at the end of the year for Michael Penix Jr. With Atlanta planning to move forward with Penix as the starter, Cousins' future with the franchise is in a complicated state.
Though the Michigan State product has expressed his desire to be a starting quarterback and is willing to play elsewhere, the Falcons have shown little interest in trading Cousins. However, the Steelers could emerge as a logical trade partner if Rodgers doesn't sign.
Pittsburgh would become incredibly desperate for a quarterback if Rodgers ditches them. Though Cousins struggled last year and isn't a long-term answer at the position, the 36-year-old has a ton of starting experience and could flourish in Arthur Smith's offense. Cousins could help lead the Steelers back to the postseason, but he likely isn't good enough to turn Mike Tomlin's squad into a legitimate AFC contender.
At this point in the offseason, Pittsburgh has run out of options. Cousins would be their best bet if Rodgers doesn't ink his deal, though he is coming off the worst season of his career, and his days as a capable starter may be over.
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