NFL insider Jason La Canfora reporte d last month that Kirk Cousins could be in play for the Pittsburgh Steelers if Aaron Rodgers backs out. That plan has been squashed, however, as Cousins is signing with the Las Vegas Raiders , according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network revealed on The Rich Eisen Show recently that the Steelers tried to trade with the Atlanta Falcons for Cousins last year.
" Kirk Cousins is the one, and I know that they called on him last year and the Falcons at the time didn't want to trade him, didn't want to engage in trade talks, but now Kirk Cousins is free," Pelissero told Eisen . "Cousins potentially could be an option if they pivot away from Aaron Rodgers , which hasn't happened yet."
It's unclear what type of player Rodgers would be if he decides to return for his 22nd season in the league, but the nearly five-years-younger Cousins would have still come at a risk, too.
Cousins started the 2024 season as the starter and led the Falcons to a 7-7 record, passing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He was benched in favor of Michael Penix Jr. for the final three games. The Falcons kept Cousins on the bench in 2025, even after much speculation about what his next step would be.
Cousins joins new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas . The two have ties from their time together in Minnesota . The Raiders are expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Speaking at the 2026 NFL Owners Meetings on Monday, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said that he's been in regular contact with Rodgers, whose contract with the Steelers expired early in March, and does not appear to be sweating the timeline of the 42-year-old former MVP making a decision about his future.
"He's really engaged into what's going on," McCarthy said. "We've been talking weekly, every couple of days. We'll just continue to do that."
McCarthy didn't directly answer a question about whether he would be OK with Rodgers skipping OTAs, as he did in 2025, when he signed with the team immediately after the voluntary portion of the offseason program.
"The hypotheticals … I'm just focused on my next conversation with him. He's engaged with what's going on."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Backup Plan at Quarterback Just Got Destroyed by AFC Team
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