Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of a few teams that don’t have a starting quarterback. Despite Mike Tomlin’s ability to always field a competitive team, Mason Rudolph isn’t leading any NFL team to the promised land in real life.
That’s why the Steelers are the team most often linked to Aaron Rodgers, yet the future Hall of Famer’s playing status for the 2025 season is unknown. However, if the 41-year-old doesn’t sign with Pittsburgh, they’ll need to find another above-average starter who can help them return to the postseason this year.
One fairly reasonable option may end up falling right into Pittsburgh’s laps.
Related: NFL reporter explains why Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t signed Aaron Rodgers yet
Pittsburgh Steelers could still have interest in Kirk Cousins
Pittsburgh Steelers
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It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers want to sign Aaron Rodgers. It’s why he was in their facility for six hours, meeting with coaches.
Yet, for whatever reason, whether it’s financial, motivation, location, coaching, scheme, personnel, or something unrelated, the Steelers haven’t been able to get the four-time NFL MVP under contract.
If the Steelers don’t end up landing Rodgers, they could be prepared to pivot to another multi-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
Barring the addition of Rodgers, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says it’s likely that the Steelers would have interest in Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
“The other team still needing a quarterback right now is the Steelers, who have the No. 21 pick in the draft. If they don’t land Aaron Rodgers, they’ll likely be interested in Cousins. They also seemingly have their eye on Milroe at 21, and if they draft him, Cousins would have to decide if that’s the right spot for him. He could also wait until a quarterback gets injured and needs a starter. In that case, a team would probably be willing to pay the Falcons a sizable chunk of his salary.”
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland
Cousins doesn’t want to be a backup quarterback. Yet, if he stays in Atlanta, he’ll be stuck behind Michael Penix Jr, barring injury.
Thus, if the Steelers are really stuck without a better option than Rudolph, then Cousins could very well be their best option.
Related: NFL team needs 2025: Identifying Round 1 targets for all 32 teams in the 2025 NFL Draft