While the Steelers wait on Aaron Rodgers’ decision, they’re actively exploring other quarterback options. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Pittsburgh may already have a promising backup plan in motion if talks with Rodgers ultimately fall apart.
While on SportsCenter, Jeremy Fowler identified Kirk Cousins as a potential fallback for the Steelers if they fail to land Aaron Rodgers. Fowler noted that Cousins is on the Steelers’ radar, though his sizable contract has complicated trade talks for interested teams, including earlier rumors involving the Atlanta Falcons quarterback this offseason.
“I would say 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 to fall through on Rodgers. Now, here’s how they could make that happen,” Fowler remarked.
#Steelers have sights set on Aaron Rodgers and have Mason Rudolph in the fold – is Kirk Cousins a viable Plan B?@SportsCenter with @aminajadeTV pic.twitter.com/E7rmr6WWDG
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 26, 2025
While the Steelers await Rodgers’ decision, Kirk Cousins emerges as a strong fallback—particularly since he’s expected to push for a starting role instead of settling as a backup. Still, Fowler notes the Falcons have firmly resisted trade talks and remain unwilling to part ways with the veteran quarterback.
The possibility of Kirk Cousins being a member of the Steelers
“Cousins has $37.5 million in guarantees between this year and next year. Somebody’s on the hook for that, whether it’s Atlanta or someone else. So to facilitate a trade, Atlanta would need a team to offset some of that money – whether it’s $4 million, $20 million, whatever it is,” he continued.
The 36-year old, signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons last season, including $100 million guaranteed. Despite that investment, Atlanta used the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who eventually replaced Cousins as the starter after a rocky debut season. Cousins finished the year with 3,508 passing yards and 18 touchdowns but also led the league with 16 interceptions.
That situation fueled trade speculation as quarterback movement picked up across the league. However, no deal materialized, leaving Cousins poised to return to Atlanta in 2025 while Penix prepares for his second NFL season.
“But the feeling around the league is that Atlanta has not been willing to budge on this. They haven’t shown a lot of interest in trading Cousins. It would take a hefty price tag for another team to wiggle that out, as one source told me, if they’re willing to take a small percentage, like, let’s say, seven or $8 million of that money, a deal would be done by now. There was interest earlier in the off-season, right now, Pittsburgh might be the only hope for Cousins, or he’s sort of stuck in Atlanta.”
