While much of the focus of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback search has been on free agent Aaron Rodgers, the possibility of trading for Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins has been revived in recent days, especially [after a report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/05/fowler-kirk-cousins-has-been-on-steelers-radar-could-trade-for-him-if-they-dont-sign-aaron-rodgers/) that Cousins is on Pittsburgh’s radar as a Plan B to Rodgers.
On [ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike this morning](https://www.espn.com/espnradio/losangeles/podcast/archive/_/id/29552520), Courtney Cronin argued that Cousins is a better option for the Steelers than Rodgers and that the pairing of Pittsburgh and Cousins would be a “perfect marriage.”
Cronin believes that acquiring Cousins gives the Steelers a quarterback option beyond 2025 that doesn’t prevent them from drafting a rookie in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“You still have a very good quarterback on your roster that wouldn’t preclude you from going to draft somebody like Arch Manning next year, trading up to get Arch Manning…why not usher in and have stability and a better setup than having Aaron Rodgers there for a year if he comes at all,” Cronin said.
She also believes that Pittsburgh’s system will be good for Cousins at this point in his career.
“I don’t even think he’s your best option at quarterback right now. I think Kirk Cousins, knowing what we didn’t get to see from him last year after they effectively made the switch between him and Michael Penix Jr. I think a new system in an offense that’s going to be tailored toward the run and not having Kirk do too much at this point in his career…I think it’s a perfect marriage, more than hedging everything for Rodgers to come here.”
The Falcons would likely need to take on some of Cousins’ contract for the Steelers to acquire him, as the team won’t take on everything left from the four-year, $180 million deal he signed last offseason. But Pittsburgh would inherit the length of the contract, with three seasons remaining, and could have Cousins around beyond 2025. It wouldn’t be anything new for him to have a team bring in a rookie after the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. just weeks after signing him. Eventually, Penix took over as Atlanta’s starter, which is why Cousins is now available.
Given how Cousins struggled in the second half of the season with Atlanta and didn’t play up to his standards coming off an Achilles injury, coupled with his contract, it’s easy to see why he’s currently a Plan B option for the Steelers. But he did have some impressive moments last season, like when he threw for 509 yards and four touchdowns in a 36-30 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 last year.
The Steelers seem to think Rodgers is the better option, and Kirk Cousins’ contract and how much the Falcons are willing to eat probably play a role in that. But Cronin makes a good point that the Steelers could at least have the 36-year-old Cousins around for multiple seasons, and he could be a mentor to a rookie quarterback in 2026. Still, it’s not as if Cousins is guaranteed to be better than Rodgers or lead the Steelers to the postseason, and working out a trade could prove to be difficult.
It’s a pairing that would happen out of necessity, and while there’s a chance that it works out well, acquiring Cousins could go sideways. It’s not something I would anticipate happening, and while Cronin may believe Kirk Cousins is better than Rodgers, Cousins seemed to struggle when Rodgers found his groove in the second half of the season. There’s too much unknown to say that trading for Cousins will be a better move for Pittsburgh, and that’s why it’s not something they’ve prioritized.