The Pittsburgh Steelers have an uncertain situation at the quarterback position after this season.
That's because the team's current starter, Aaron Rodgers, could retire after the 2025 campaign. If he does, that would leave Pittsburgh with Mason Rudolph and Will Howard at quarterback.
Rudolph is a good backup but shouldn't be relied upon as a starter, unless the Steelers are trying to tanke, and the jury is still very much out on Howard.
If Rodgers retires, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox believes the Steelers could make a trade for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Like Rodgers, Cousins is a pure pocket passer at this stage in his career, and he'd slot right into the system we've seen coordinator Arthur Smith run this season. He might not be an upgrade over Rodgers, but he probably wouldn't deliver an offensive decline either—especially if the Steelers can upgrade their supporting cast.
Cousins has been viewed as a trade candidate ever since the team benched him in favor or Michael Penix Jr. Late in 2024, and that doesn't figure to change this offseason.
The Falcons could opt to hold on to Cousins with the uncertainty surrounding Penix, though, after the former first-round pick had an up-and-down second campaign before suffering a partially torn ACL.
The Steelers' interest in acquiring a veteran quarterback like Cousins will depend upon the direction the franchise goes in.
If Mike Tomlin doesn't return for any reason, the Steelers could opt to hit the reset button with a full-on rebuild, in which case Cousins would likely be off the board.
But if Tomlin does come back, chances are Pittsburgh won't take that route and will instead look for another quick fix under center to try and compete once again in 2026.
Even if the Steelers trade for Cousins, that should not preclude them from drafting a quarterback, as the veteran is likely to only provide a one-year solution.
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