If Kirk Cousins is going to play elsewhere next season, the best bet is probably on that team being the Pittsburgh Steelers. Admittedly, as soon as the Cleveland Browns signed Joe Flacco to a one-year deal, the chances of Cousins going back to the Atlanta Falcons skyrocketed. This painstaking game of musical chairs is about to leave him without a chair, outside of the one he has in Flowery Branch.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report tried to predict where the biggest names left on the quarterback carousel will end up. He wrote that while the Steelers are the best landing spot for Cousins, he is of the belief he will be going back to Atlanta. This is because the Steelers seem to be more likely to sign former New York Jets starter Aaron Rodgers in free agency than trade for Cousins.
Simply put, there are too many moving pieces to shoehorn Cousins onto the Steelers in a realistic manner. Rodgers does not have to waive a no-trade clause, and Atlanta will be asked to eat the bulk of Cousins' 2025 NFL salary like the Denver Broncos did last season with Russell Wilson. The fact Flacco signed for $4 million and up to $13 million in incentives show us Atlanta is not going to comply.
Pittsburgh may also draft high-end quarterback prospects like Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders, too.
Atlanta Falcons might not trade Kirk Cousins to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Look. The biggest thing to understand here is Atlanta is not going to budge on this. Cousins may want to go to Pittsburgh, and he may very well end up there. Again, he has to waive his no-trade clause to make any of this happen. What we have to realize is Atlanta is not going to take on the bulk of his 2025 salary if the Falcons do not have to, just so they can get a draft pick or two for Cousins.
This is a different situation than the one at hand involving Wilson and the Broncos. He was varying shades of terrible during his time with Denver; Sean Payton and company wanted to get rid of him yesterday. Denver was in a place as an organization to eat the bulk of his contract, whereas Atlanta does not appear to be as lucky. Look at this more like the Baker Mayfield trade back in 2022.
At some point, some team is going to be so beyond desperate for a quarterback that they will do anything to have Cousins. Out of necessity, he will want to go there. Atlanta will find a way to make the deal worth their while, and that will be the end of it. Money is and always will be the issue here. The other thing to keep in mind is Atlanta needs to have the right kind of backup in place to help Michael Penix Jr. grow.
Pittsburgh remains the best non-Atlanta option for Cousins, but he may not get to leave the Falcons.