Insider Hints at Steelers, Kirk Cousins Possibility

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are still stuck without a top option at the quarterback position, despite their desire to fix the situation.

Mason Rudolph currently leads a quarterback room made up of himself and Skylar Thompson, a discouraging sight for Steelers fans hoping to see improvement on the offensive side of the ball.

Now, if the Steelers are unable to land Aaron Rodgers following a saga that has dragged on for months, they will either be stuck with a paltry free agent class still available at the position or will look to the 2025 NFL Draft to address their needs.

Now, ESPN insider Adam Schefter believes that the Steelers will not go for a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming draft, thus lowering their chances of taking a quarterback at all. His thoughts hinge on Shedeur Sanders not falling to the 21st pick, as well as the Steelers possibly being in the market for current Atlanta Falcon Kirk Cousins. In an appearance on ESPN's Unsportsmanlike, Schefter addressed the Steelers possibilities.

"I can't imagine, nor could they, that Shedeur Sanders would somehow slip that far. Let me say for the record right now, despite speculation to the contrary, I will be surprised if the Pittsburgh Steelers take a quarterback in Round 1," Schefter said. "I don't think they're drafting a quarterback in Round 1. That's me based on conversations with a lot of different people."

As for Cousins, he's still on the table.

"I also believe that the break-the-glass emergency plan for Pittsburgh, for Cleveland, for Minnesota if it doesn’t have a backup, the break-the-glass emergency plan is you can always say ‘I’m gonna trade a draft choice to the Atlanta Falcons for Kirk Cousins,'" Schefter said. "You can always say ‘We’re gonna take on some of his salary.’ I think Kirk Cousins is sitting there as the break-the-glass emergency option for one of those teams."

Many possibilities have been named for the Steelers in any round, and their desperation could cause them to reach for a quarterback early on. That being said, Cousins would also likely be a large overpay, leading to issues with other impending contracts like T.J. Watt. It would be a high-risk option to go for Cousins, but could work out if he could improve on his mobility and accuracy for the coming season.

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