The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t wait around, and Aaron Rodgers needs to understand that as soon as possible. While the team is showing immense confidence in the 42-year-old’s return, they are not sitting idle without a backup plan in mind. Over the past few days in Steeler City, the focus has been on evaluating veteran options to replace Rodgers, with Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo emerging as the top two targets. Now, however, the Steelers appear to be leaning toward Cousins.

“🚨#Steelers have done homework on Kirk Cousins by the chance Aaron Rodgers don’t return. #herewego,” NFL Rumors posted on X, “The #Raiders have also shown interest.”

Last year, when people linked Cousins to Pittsburgh, he was still under contract, but circumstances have changed. The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly considering signing Kirk Cousins, who had signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons before they officially released him in March 2026. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback uncertainty did not appear overnight. Even in 2025, the numbers painted a worrying picture. The offense was consistently out-gained, finishing.

With no clear successor since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, Pittsburgh cycled through short-term fixes, including Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, but never truly found stability. That is where Kirk Cousins enters the frame. The shot-caller brings plenty of experience, with 14 seasons under his belt. Before his time in Atlanta, he played for the Minnesota Vikings and was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

With Rodgers’ plans still unclear, and with only Will Howard and Mason Rudolph currently in the quarterback room, adding Cousins could make sense. He would bring veteran leadership and stability to the position. Most importantly, Cousins is half a decade younger than Aaron Rodgers. Last season, Cousins recorded 1,721 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and a QB rating of 47.6 for the Falcons. These numbers started to bloom when he took the starting duties in week 12 after primary starter Michael Penix Jr. suffered yet another season-ending ACL injury.

Those numbers are about half of Rodgers’ production last season, as he threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns playing in all seventeen games. Rodgers’ age and the limited options available at quarterback play a vital point of comparison. Teams have already signed many quarterbacks, including Geno Smith, Justin Fields, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa, which makes Cousins’ availability important. That said, other teams are also interested, not just the Steelers. John Breech of CBS Sports believes Cousins could also land with the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Cousins would obviously prefer to go to a team where he might be able to start,” he said. “But with those options drying up, the Raiders would make a lot of sense.”

Breech also mentioned that a reunion with head coach Klint Kubiak (after their time together at Minnesota) could make Las Vegas an appealing destination. With the Raiders potentially eyeing a rookie like Fernando Mendoza, Cousins could step in as a reliable veteran mentor while helping stabilize the offense. However, not everyone is on board with the potential signing.

Ryan Clark strongly opposes the Pittsburgh Steelers signing Kirk Cousins

While the Pittsburgh Steelers might be thinking about signing Kirk Cousins, former NFL player Ryan Clark has a different opinion on the situation.

“If you think Will Howard can be something in the future, but you may have to let him grow,” Clark said. “I’d rather you play with him, get a veteran backup…it can still be Mason Rudolph. Do not go get another old dude that’s going to have you as an average team. You’re trying to make the same decision next year.”

Cousins will turn 38 before the regular season kicks off, so Clark is clearly suggesting the team should lean toward younger quarterbacks instead. Speaking of Howard, he was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Clark believes the team should give him time to develop rather than bringing in an older quarterback and ending up in the same situation again. However, Howard did not have a smooth start to his career.

In fact, he had to begin the regular season on injured reserve after fracturing his hand during a Steelers practice. As a result of that injury, Howard did not participate in any games during his rookie season. Despite that, the former Buckeye did have a promising college career as a dynamic dual-threat quarterback playing for both the Kansas State Wildcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes. In 50 games, Howard completed 767 passes for 9,796 yards, threw 83 touchdowns, 35 interceptions, and had 1,147 rushing yards with 26 rushing touchdowns.

These stats are promising despite the fact that the rookie never featured in the NFL last year due to injury. The Steelers can use a veteran backup like Rudolph to focus on developing a quarterback instead of being in a cycle where they are constantly in search of one.