“I didn’t forget how to play quarterback,” Falcons QB Kirk Cousins said in December 2024 when the team declared rookie Michael Penix Jr. as the starting quarterback. He wasn’t happy with the decision, but played along. What else could he have done? In 14 games (all starts) in 2024, the signal-caller had a 7-7 win-loss record with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The team had to look for an alternative. But in the offseason, the quarterback made his intentions public. HC Raheem Morris also declared their openness to a trade. The question remains: what’s the price?

Just last year, he signed a whopping 4-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. This year, he is set to earn $27.5 million guaranteed, with another $10 million in guaranteed money for the next year. The Falcons will definitely want the potential buyer team to take care of the financial issues surrounding Kirk Cousins. That makes the situation troublesome for the Steelers, led by HC Mike Tomlin.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac discussed the potential trade to the Steel City on the April 18 episode of The Rich Eisen Show. He said, “The question would be, uh, you know, how much would the Falcons try to hold up the Steelers for Kirk Cousins? You know, what a thirty-six, thirty-seven-year-old guy there. The Steelers are certainly not going to invest a lot in terms of maybe draft capital to get Kirk Cousins.” That’s right.

A pre-June 1 release will save $2.5 million in cap space with a massive $37.5 million dead cap hit in 2025, with $25 million in 2026 and $12.5 million in 2027. But the post-June 1 release will spread the dead money evenly at $12.5 million per year over three seasons. It would also bring massive financial relief with $27.5 million this year and $45 million in both 2026 and 2027. There’s an issue about draft picks, too.

The Steelers choose 21st in the coming draft, while the Falcons choose 15th. And Atlanta doesn’t have any urgency to trade their QB. A few days ago, rumors circulated that Browns’ HC Kevin Stefanski would trade for his trusted quarterback. But even he backed out after learning the Falcons’ plan to cover the $27.5 million guaranteed money with additional draft picks.

While it puts the quarterback’s future in jeopardy, the doors are still open. The Steelers also need a quarterback. But will they trade their draft picks?

Steelers are interested in Kirk Cousins

Since Russell Wilson and Justin Fields‘s departure from the team, HC Mike Tomlin was interested in Aaron Rodgers throughout the entire off-season. But he had a heartbreak when the QB refused to commit. This has forced the AFC North franchise to look for other options. And he has found a great option in the Falcons quarterback.

In 13 years of his NFL career, Kirk Cousins has played 164 games (159 starters) and has an 83-74 win-loss record. He has completed 3,768 of 5,630 passes (66.9% completion rate) for 42,979 passing yards, 288 touchdowns, and 126 interceptions. He showed dominance in the rushing game also, with 327 rushes in 958 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.

However, they’ll need to free up a significant amount of cap space—that’s the bare minimum. Can they pull it off? We’ll find out soon. The Steelers’ front office is keeping its plans under wraps. With the draft just less than a week away, more clarity should emerge by then.