Steelers: NFL analyst makes feelings known on Kirk Cousins-Steelers fit with Aaron Rodgers on hold

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened OTAs on Tuesday without veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They have been flirting with the idea of signing Rodgers all offseason, but has yet to land a commitment from him.

Pittsburgh opened its offseason program with a quarterback battle, as Mason Rudolph and Will Howard competed for what could end up being the backup quarterback spot. As the Steelers await Rodgers' decision, with no reported progress towards a deal, another potential veteran option has arisen recently.

According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Pittsburgh has started monitoring Kirk Cousins and his status with the Atlanta Falcons. While Cousins would still likely prove to be an upgrade over the team's quarterback situation, Stephen A. Smith argued against a potential move for the Falcons quarterback.

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"You mean Kirk Cousins, that threw nine interceptions and one touchdown over the last five games? You mean that Kirk Cousins?” Smith said on Wednesday, via 'First Take.' “I don’t have any faith in Kirk Cousins. Hell no. There’s nothing that excites me, that enamors me, that tickles me in any way about Kirk Cousins being a Pittsburgh Steeler. Nothing at all.”

The four-time Pro Bowler, who inked a four-year $180 million deal last offseason, threw a league-leading 16 interceptions in 14 games before being benched for Michael Penix Jr. last season.

Kirk Cousins misses start of OTAs amid Steelers rumors

As he hears his name flung around the rumor mill, Kirk Cousins is reportedly looking ahead to his next situation. As the Falcons flocked for the start of OTAs, Cousins was not among his Atlanta teammates amid a flurry of rumors involving the likes of Pittsburgh.

For a deal to be realized, the team would likely be forced to take on a large sum of Cousins' $40 million cap hit for the 2025 season, along with the remainder of his massive deal. That situation remains up in the air but is worth monitoring as Cousins sits out from Atlanta's offseason program.

Cousins was ultimately dethroned by Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons are moving forward with as their starting quarterback. Atlanta shocked the NFL world with their selection of Penix at No. 8 in 2024.

About the author

Ethen Hutton is an analyst who works for Sportskeeda, covering College Football, the NFL, the NBA and the WNBA. Ethen graduated high school with academic and athletic honors and is a member of the National High School Honors Society. After a gap year, Ethen jumped into sports writing and has over two years of experience in the field.

Ethen was raised in Ohio and is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. His favorite all-time player is Pete Maravich as his shooting and ball-handling abilities were way ahead of his time. His favorite player in today’s NBA is Nikola Jokic due to his fascinating skillset as a big man.

Ethen loves the storylines around the NBA and the chaos that the offseason and trade deadlines bring. He enjoys technical deep dives with strong statistical analysis as well as stories where he's able to take a stance as an analyst. He is very prideful in the correctness of his work and will do extensive research to ensure all facts and evidence are 100% accurate.

When not working, Ethen enjoys recording his sports podcast, Wide Right. He is also a very invested fantasy football player.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez