Every decision has a consequence. In the NFL, teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers have done a better job of this historically than those like the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets. We have some 60 years worth of evidence to prove to us this is undeniably true. That being said, there are reasons why Pittsburgh has yet to win a playoff game in nearly a decade. It has everything to do with quarterbacks.
With former Jets starter Aaron Rodgers dragging his feet on whether or not he wants to keep playing, that puts a team like the Falcons in a far more advantageous position to potentially trade Cousins. ESPN's Adam Schefter said Pittsburgh is the leader in the clubhouse to possibly land Cousins in a draft-week trade. The other team he mentioned is Cousins' former employer, the Minnesota Vikings...
Not to say it is a foregone conclusion that Cousins is going to Pittsburgh, but Atlanta did sign a replacement for him on the roster in Easton Stick. Pittsburgh could conceivably draft one of four quarterbacks this spring in Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe or Quinn Ewers, but none may be ready to start just yet. That would probably indicate Mason Rudolph is the Week 1 starter.
What I am getting at is Rodgers being difficult to work with could compromise the Steelers' big plans.
Aaron Rodgers' games may cost Pittsburgh Steelers dearly this offseason
To be quite frank, we may have reached a critical point when it comes to Rodgers potentially going to the Steelers anyway. The 2025 NFL Draft begins in earnest on Tuesday night. There are three quarterbacks destined to go in the first round, and the Steelers may be among the favorites to land either Sanders out of Colorado or Dart out of Ole Miss. Milroe and Ewers both feel like day-two picks.
Outside of Rodgers, Cousins might be the Steelers' best bad option under center entering this season. I would take him over Rudolph, as well as the four rookie quarterbacks the Steelers could conceivably take inside the top 100. Keep in mind that Miami's Cam Ward will be the first player taken in Tuesday night's draft by the Tennessee Titans. That ship has sailed on him coming to Pittsburgh.
To wrap this up, Pittsburgh needs to be the aggressor in figuring out its quarterback situation. This runs counter to playing the waiting game with Rodgers. Whether it is trading for Cousins, or drafting Dart, Ewers, Milroe or Sanders, the Steelers need to do something. Otherwise, they are setting themselves up to be in this same situation next year. Rodgers and Rudolph would guarantee that.
The Steelers already caved into Rodgers' ludicrous demands once before, so let's not make it a thing.