The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of just a few teams still legitimately in the market for a quarterback this summer, though it appears that Aaron Rodgers is still the best possibility.
However, Rodgers is notoriously mercurial and hasn't committed to Pittsburgh yet, so there remains a legitimate chance that he won't as training camp is now just weeks away.
Given that context, Ben Solak of ESPN authored a trade proposal on Thursday, June 4, that would see the Steelers swap a Day 3 draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Kirk Cousins.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Steelers' quarterback room is about as thin as one could get ahead of training camp. And if signing Aaron Rodgers falls through, the Steelers must trade for a veteran who can start. Mason Rudolph is currently No. 1 on the depth chart.
Cousins is a good fit for coordinator Arthur Smith's offense, which doesn't need its quarterback to move much out of the pocket. This late of a draft pick is close to Cousins' value, and I'd imagine the Falcons are still willing to swallow $20 million -- maybe even more -- of his salary to get this deal done.
Solak's pitch includes a conditional sixth-round pick headed Atlanta's way, which can turn into a fifth-rounder based on how much/how well Cousins plays.
The Falcons owe the four-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 37 years old just ahead of this season, another $27.5 million in 2025 on his $180 million contract ($100 million guaranteed).
Cousins went 7-7 as the starter in Atlanta last year before the team benched him for rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.