Steelers Rumors: Pittsburgh trade candidate, NFL fines T.J. Watt, Cousins buzz

Steelers Rumors: Kirk Cousins mentioned as potential Steelers target

If the Steelers opt for an aggressive trade deadline approach, former NFL GM Michael Lombardi has a pitch: trade for Kirk Cousins.

"Pittsburgh," Lombardi said. "Would Pittsburgh take him? Would you put Kirk Cousins on Pittsburgh’s team right now? Pretty much, that might improve them, and it might give them a long-term answer."

That is obviously unlikely, to the point where TribLive columnist Mark Madden committed a whole article to disparaging even the thought of trading for Cousins. He called it "totally absurd" with no basis in fact.

The Steelers appear wholly content with Kenny Pickett, for better or worse. The 25-year-old has battled injuries and his performance remains largely inconsistent, but he's young and the flashes (especially in preseason) are enough to keep Pittsburgh invested.

Also of note are Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. The Steelers have committed legitimate financial resources to rostering three viable QBs. The odds of spending more resources to bring another (much more expensive 35-year-old) QB into the mix are low. Also, Lombardi's characterization of Cousins as a "long-term solution" feels misguided given the veteran's advanced age. There's a reason the Minnesota Vikings have been hesitant to extend him.

Cousins is a solid QB and he would probably make the Steelers better. But, would he make them better enough to justify the investment — especially with Matt Canada's low-scoring system in place? No, of course not. The Steelers aren't in a position to realistically trade for Cousins. Plain and simple.