Aaron Rodgers has reportedly made the unsurprising decision to agree to a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there is one other veteran quarterback who may not have wanted to see that happen.
Mason Rudolph was the only other viable starting quarterback option on Pittsburgh’s roster before the team got a commitment from Rodgers. As Rodgers weighed his future over the last two months, there were rumblings that the Steelers viewed Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins as their backup plan for the four-time NFL MVP.
Some questioned whether the Steelers actually had interest in Cousins, but none of that matters now. The Steelers have their quarterback, and Cousins remains No. 2 on the depth chart in Atlanta.
Cousins lost his starting job to Michael Penix Jr. just months after the four-time Pro Bowler signed a four-year, $180M deal with the Falcons. It goes without saying that Atlanta is open to trading Cousins, but the 36-year-old’s contract situation has made facilitating a deal almost impossible.
The Cleveland Browns are another team that was at one point viewed as a Cousins suitor. A recent report speculated that the Browns could still have interest even after drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, though that seems unlikely.
A lot can change between now and the start of the season. There will always be a chance that an injury to a quarterback could increase the demand for Cousins, which is why the Falcons will continue to be patient.
Cousins finished with 3,508 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and an NFL-worst 16 interceptions last season. He is probably better than some current starting quarterbacks, but he may not attract legitimate interest unless he is cut by Atlanta.
Barring an unexpected change, Cousins might now be locked into the role of highly paid backup as the Steelers are no longer in the market for a starter.
