Aaron Rodgers has never worn the black and gold. He’s never taken a snap for the Steelers, never called Heinz Field (or Acrisure Stadium) home. And yet, like a shadow cast from hundreds of miles away, he’s shaped the Steelers’ decisions in war rooms and draft boards more than some of their own alumni. With the former Jets man heavily linked with the Steelers, having visited their facility last month, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan passed on quarterback after quarterback in the early rounds of the draft. Instead, they built out the physical spine of the roster — linemen, defenders, backs — as if confident that the most crucial piece would arrive by other means. It wasn’t until the 6th round that the franchise finally went for a QB.

In the 6th round, drafted Will Howard. He lines up a QB room that already has Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. But that still leaves one spot free in Mike Tomlin’s ‘4-QB plan’. The Steelers are hoping it is Rodgers that takes up that place, and their President Art Rooney II sounded positive about the development.

When Mike Tomlin was asked about Rodgers by Rich Eisen, he said, “That’s certainly a possibility – I’m not going to forecast the ifs and whens regarding not only him but any other potential free agent. We’ve had really productive talks with him, and I’ve enjoyed having productive talks with him and getting to know him.” But while Rodgers landing in Pittsburgh remains a possibility, the Steelers might not have to limit their options. 

The Atlanta Falcons made solid additions in the draft, including two new edge rushers, two new defensive backs, and an offensive tackle. But notably, they still have Kirk Cousins on their roster. The Atlanta Falcons are going all-in with Michael Penix Jr. right now, and Cousins is boiling down to be nothing more than an expensive backup. The QB has requested the franchise to release or trade him, so that he can join a team where he can start. So, can the Steelers be that team?

As per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, there may be hope for Kirk Cousins with the Steelers. Before the drafts, Dianna wrote, “The Browns, Steelers, and possibly Vikings could be involved in a Cousins trade. – It’s believed that Cousins would be against any trade that involves sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he faced in Atlanta last year.” The Steelers do have a young QB now, but he needs to be developed, so Cousins might change his mind if the offer comes along. Cousins’s options to move to a team that could offer him a starting role shrank after as many as 14 quarterbacks were picked.

Last season with the Falcons, Kirk Cousins held the starting quarterback role for the majority of the year before eventually being supplanted by rookie Michael Penix Jr. late in the campaign. Cousins finished the season completing 66.9% of his passes, throwing for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Despite having a good amount of turnovers, he would provide a more reliable option for the Steelers than their current QBs. But any deal would need the Falcons to come to an amicable agreement.

He is under contract with Atlanta for the next three seasons, and the franchise is adamant that they will not release him, which leaves a trade deal as the only way out. But the Falcons would only do business if it benefits them.

“Just like on any player, if we get a call, we’ll discuss it,” GM Terry Fontenot said. “If it makes sense, if it’s going to help this team, we’ll do it. If not, we won’t.”  Falcons have asked any acquiring team to pay $20M of Kirk’s $45M guaranteed payout and the question is which team will fork that money.

Meanwhile, NFL insider Ian Rapoport also believes Cousins could become a viable option in case the Rodgers deal falls out.

Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, he mentioned, “If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t go to Pittsburgh I think that’s a possibility for Kirk Cousins. It feels like the other possibilities kind of don’t exist after the draft. The longer this goes it feel like he’s gonna be the Falcons backup.”

The walls and the time are closing in for Cousins, it seems, and his only hope to get a starting role appears to be a move to the Steelers. However, the shadow of Aaron Rodgers looms large.

Rodgers closer to a Steelers contract?

It’s interesting to note that Aaron Rodgers’ dilemma for the Steelers might stem from Kirk Cousins’ treatment. He has notably said in a presser, “There’s ebbs and flows in the year. There’s not a lot of patience in this league. – Kirk’s played at a high level for a long, long time. So, any time there’s a change, that’s got to be hard. So, my heart goes out to him”. But it looks like he could be the one standing in the way of Cousins getting his career back on track.

Talking about how the talks with Rodgers are progressing during the draft, Steelers president and owner Art Rooney II told the Steelers Nation Radio, “We’re still kind of getting the same signals that we’ve been getting recently. – He does want to come here, so I do think we may get word soon.”

But how soon is soon? Before the drafts began, NFL insider James Palmer said the Steelers have put a deadline, “The draft week is potentially, in a lot of people’s minds, a deadline for Aaron Rodgers.” But the drafts have come and gone, with the Steelers leaving one room open. A day before Will Howard’s signing, Rooney had said, “We did not factor in whether Aaron is coming or not into that – If we do draft a quarterback – it’s probably not going to be somebody who is going to start for us this year. It’s going to be somebody who is developing and may play down the road.”

Kirk Cousins is making every moment count right now. He even showed up at the Falcons’ voluntary workouts recently. Whether as a willing backup QB or to audition for the world, that remains to be seen. If the Steelers draft him, he could add serious talent to the team. However, if they go with Rodgers, it will be more like a one-year deal at best. The rumor mills are hard at work, and we’re not gonna miss a single second of it. Stay tuned, folks – we should soon know the Steelers’ decision between Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins.