3 Kenny Pickett replacements Steelers should covet, 2 to avoid like the plague

Steelers should gamble on Kirk Cousins despite injury concerns

Kirk Cousins' season ended after eight games when he ruptured his Achilles. Cousins has been remarkably resistant to injuries over the course of his career, so it was a difficult blow for the 35-year-old in the final year of his contract. Before the injury, the Minnesota Vikings appeared hesitant to engage full-throttle on extension talks. Perhaps the price has declined enough for the two sides to meet in the middle — there's no doubt Cousins wants to return — but Minnesota has been just fine with Josh Dobbs under center, and there could be a desire to get younger, rather than older next season.

If Cousins hits the open market in free agency, the Steelers should absolutely place a call. It would be beyond strange to see Cousins in Pittsburgh black and gold, but he's a damn solid quarterback. The Vikings got off to a difficult start this season, but that was partially due to a difficult schedule. Cousins ended the season 4-4 under center, completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has been the head of the snake for a top-flight offense for years now. A true paragon of consistency. Perhaps the ceiling is limited, but the floor is extremely high.

At this point, the Steelers would love a high floor. Pickett simply doesn't move the ball through the air. He's a tepid passer who averages 6.1 yards per attempt compared to 7.5 for Cousins. The latter has seen his arm strength dwindle in the later stage of his career, but Cousins still threads the needle through tight windows and understands how to build a relationship with his top wideouts. One has to imagine the openly disgruntled George Pickens would welcome a QB of Cousins' stature.

It's fair to wonder how Cousins might look after an Achilles injury in his age-36 season — even if he doesn't use his legs much, you need lower-body strength to throw — but modern medicine has been kind to QBs who want to play deep into their 30s or even early 40s. Cousins still has gas left in the tank and he could easily emerge as the best QB available in the offseason.