Heading into the month of June, Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and 2025 sixth-round pick, Will Howard are the only quarterbacks currently on the Steelers’ roster. While Rudolph has shown he can be a spot-starter in emergency situations and Howard provides some intrigue after leading Ohio State to a National Championship this past January, the Steelers likely won’t be fine with heading into the regular season with either under center.
While the smoke around Aaron Rodgers joining the Steelers is certainly heavy, there may be a reason why the future Hall of Fame signal caller hasn’t put pen to paper as voluntary OTA’s roll around.
Could it be as simple as Rodgers is just looking for a few more dollars from the club, or is it the Steelers working on some potential other options behind the scenes?
In a deal proposed by Bleacher Report’s Mitch Milani, the Steelers would be turning their attention from Rodgers over to a disgruntled former Pro Bowl signal caller who recently just lost his starting job to a 2024 first-round pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers Receive: Kirk Cousins
Atlanta Falcons Receive: 2026 Fifth-Round Pick
While trading Cousins for a fifth-round pick just one calendar year after signing him to a $180 deal isn’t what the Falcons had hoped for, finding a suitor to take his contract after they turned the reigns over to 2024 first-round pick, Michael Penix Jr. isn’t the worst outcome in the world…it’s also a bonus that the Falcons don’t have a fifth-round selection in next year’s draft, and this deal would give them one.
On the other side of the deal, the Steelers would be getting virtually what they’d be getting in Rodgers, but without the off-field antics, and potential issues within the building should the season begin to go sideways.
If the Falcons were able to get a deal done over the next few days (before June 1), they’d eat $37.5 million this season but would save $27.5 million, next season.
Cousins would have to approve any proposed deal, but he’d like have no problem heading to a stable organization in the Steelers, especially with it likely a lock that he’d be their unquestioned Week 1 starter if Rodgers wasn’t in the fold.
It’s worth noting Cousins sat out of the Falcons’ voluntary OTA’s, earlier this week.
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