The Pittsburgh Steelers have not posted a losing record in more than two decades, including the last 18 seasons under head coach Mike Tomlin, but the quarterback position is a major question heading into 2025.
Pittsburgh selected national champion Will Howard out of Ohio State in the sixth round of this year's NFL draft, but it's unclear if the 23-year-old signal caller is ready to start immediately in the NFL.
The other two quarterbacks on the roster are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Both have been part-time starters before: Rudolph is 9-8-1 and Thompson is 1-2. But neither has proven himself a legitimate QB1.
Pittsburgh traded a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver DK Metcalf, then signed him to a four-year contract worth $132 million -- a move that doesn't make sense unless the franchise plans on acquiring a bonafide starting QB.
The Steelers have been transparent about their interest in Aaron Rodgers, but a deal with the four-time MVP has yet to materialize. If Rodgers isn't going to be the guy next season, Pittsburgh is a prime candidate to trade for a quarterback in the coming months.
The trade market isn't robust, but Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons is available, and Pittsburgh is a logical destination for the 36-year-old QB.
"The Falcons can trade Cousins after June 1 and save $27.5 million in cap space this year, per Over the Cap," Moe Moton of Bleacher Report wrote on Tuesday, May 13. "If quarterback-needy teams believe the four-time Pro Bowler has another season or two of optimal years, the Falcons should be open to a deal that nets them a fourth-round pick."
A fourth-rounder is a reasonable price for a starting-caliber QB considering the other options at the Steelers' disposal. Cousins isn't a longterm answer, but he's an obvious upgrade over Rudolph and Thompson, and probably a better solution than Howard -- at least in 2025.
Cousins inked a four-year, $180 million deal last offseason and carries a $27.5 million cap hit this season. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in April that the Falcons are looking for a team willing to take on $20 million of that salary in 2025.
If the Steelers can negotiate that down to the range of $10 million, it is hard to argue that Cousins isn't the best of limited options as the preseason approaches.
