AFC Team Stuns The NFL By Acquiring Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins In Blockbuster Trade Proposal

Kirk Cousins of Atlanta Falcons looking on.

That would be a wild shake-up for both teams. The Falcons cutting bait on Cousins after just one season would be a tough pill to swallow financially, but if Penix Jr. is the real deal, they have to move forward. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has been searching for stability at QB since Big Ben retired, and Cousins—despite his flaws—would be an upgrade over their current options.

That said, would the Steelers actually take on his contract? Even if Atlanta eats some of the money, it’s still a big commitment for a 36-year-old QB coming off a rough season. Also, Preston Smith is a solid pass rusher, but at 32, he’s not exactly a long-term piece for the Falcons. A fourth-rounder isn’t much return for Atlanta either, but at this point, they might just be happy to unload the contract.

If this trade happened, it could make Pittsburgh a legitimate playoff threat next season, assuming Cousins can still play at a high level. What do you think—good move for the Steelers, or would they be better off looking elsewhere?

 

Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are both pending free agents. The former could get a second chance to prove himself, but it’s hard to envision Pittsburgh bringing back Wilson after the ugly end to their season.

Pittsburgh dropped their final four regular season games before falling 28-14 to the archrival Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.

Kirk Cousins Is Worth A Look If The Price Is Right

Cousins had a rough first year in Atlanta, but he was also recovering from surgery on a torn Achilles that ended his 2023 season. By the time 2025 rolls around, he’ll have been nearly two full years removed from it, so there’s a case to be made that the Steelers should take a chance on him.

Pittsburgh hasn’t had above-average quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger’s last healthy season in 2018. If they could just find a player to manage the offense at a decent level to complement their defense and steady ground game, the Steelers would re-emerge as a contender in the challenging AFC.