Kirk Cousins
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Quarterback Kirk Cousins, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins continues hunting a new home in the NFL, but the options are slim and getting slimmer with regards to a chance to start somewhere among the 32 teams.
Cousins caught some bad news in that regard via an update from ESPN’s Adam Schefter regarding four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his thoughts on returning to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026.
“The situation is that he and [Steelers head coach] Mike McCarthy have been talking on a regular basis,” Schefter said. “Why are they even talking if Aaron Rodgers is not serious about coming back? That would tell you that, obviously, he is strongly entertaining the idea of coming back to the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
“And I think everyone, right now, within the Steelers organization is cautiously optimistic that he’ll be back,” Schefter continued. “We never fully know with Aaron Rodgers. But that much activity and conversations and talking about what the future could look like clearly is an indication that he’s serious about playing. My understanding also is it has nothing to do with a contract, that should not be difficult to work out.”
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GettyFormer Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers and McCarthy spent 13 years together with the Green Bay Packers, where they captured a Super Bowl ring following the 2010 season.
Pittsburgh brought McCarthy in to replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped down following one year with Rodgers as his starting quarterback. The Steelers won the AFC North Division and earned the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs in 2025, but lost to the Houston Texans in blowout fashion in Round 1.
Rodgers will turn 43 years old in December, though he and McCarthy have both publicly complimented one another and mused on what it would be like to reunite at the end of their respective careers.
“It’d be a great story,” McCarthy said.
Raiders May Be Kirk Cousins’ Last Chance at QB1 Role if Aaron Rodgers Returns to Steelers in 2026
fernando mendoza
GettyIndiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney II said recently that he expects to know before the upcoming draft, which begins on Thursday, April 23, whether Rodgers will return in 2026. The quarterback spoke to his decision timeline several weeks prior.
“There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me. There’s no contract offer or anything,” Rodgers told the Pat McAfee Show March 5. “I’m a free agent.”
If Rodgers comes back to Pittsburgh, Cousins’ last best bet to earn a starting job will probably be with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders are likely to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, though they are unlikely to compete for the playoffs in 2026 and may decide to bring him along more slowly rather than throw him directly into the fire in Week 1.
There is no guarantee that Cousins would get a full year as QB1 in Las Vegas, and it is probably more likely that he would not than that he would, as the Raiders will have incentive to get Mendoza some experience during his rookie campaign.
However, if Cousins plays well, he could be a trade candidate ahead of the mid-season deadline for some team struggling with QB injuries, or perhaps he could up his value for a chance to start elsewhere in the NFL in 2027.