Kirk Cousins was benched by the Atlanta Falcons last season in 2024-2025, in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons decided to the bench Cousins after he played 14 games as a starter, and he led the team to a 7-7 record during that period. Cousins is pushing to be a starting quarterback in the NFL for the 2025 season, and the fact that Falcons’ head coach, Raheem Morris declared earlier, that they intend to start Penix jr., doesn’t help Cousins’ case. After signing a four-year, $180 million contract, Cousins has been vocal about his desire to leave Atlanta, even meeting with the owner Arthur Black to request a release. But, the Falcons declined to comment on that saying they’ll do what’s best for the team. Cousins’ situation makes him a potential trade target for teams needing a veteran quarterback, and recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged as one of the destinations for Cousins. <\/p>
The Steelers’ are on the market for the hunt of a starting level quarterback, and even though there’s been a lot of talk about Aaron Rodgers landing at Pittsburgh for the 2025 season, he has continued to delay his decision and might even consider retiring from the NFL. So, the Steelers have Cousins on their radar, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. A trade for Cousins could work both ways, as Cousins wants to start for a team, and the Steelers need a more reliable QB1 option than rookie Will Howard, Skylar Thompson, and Mason Rudolph.<\/p>