Pittsburgh Steelers Could Eye Huge Future Quarterback Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers completely revamped their quarterback room this offseason, signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields.

That came after the Steelers trotted out Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph last season. All of those signal-callers are now playing football elsewhere.

But Pittsburgh may not be done wheeling and dealing under center.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks that the Steelers could end up pursuing Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins after next season.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency, but they then went and selected Michal Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick of the NFL Draft.

This clearly peeved Cousins, who was probably expecting Atlanta to either take an edge rusher or a wide receiver at No. 8 (so was just about everyone else).

It’s also an indication that the Falcons may not believe in Cousins long term, as Cousins will be 36 years old by the start of the 2024 campaign and is coming off of a torn Achilles.

Could this open the door for a trade next offseason?

Barnwell thinks it’s a possibility and names Pittsburgh among the clubs that could potentially chase Cousins in this scenario.

The Steelers only signed Wilson for one year, and he just had a rather tumultuous two-year stretch with the Denver Broncos. No one knows what to expect from Wilson in 2024, and if he struggles, Pittsburgh will likely show him the door after one season.

Meanwhile, Fields is currently behind Wilson on the depth chart, but in spite of showing some flashes with the Chicago Bears, he remains very unproven. Whether or not the Steelers would feel comfortable turning over the reins to him in the event of a Wilson departure remains to be seen.

It’s also important to note that we don’t know how Cousins will look next season.

Prior to the Achilles injury, the four-time Pro Bowler seemed on track to have the best year of his career. Through eight games with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, Cousins had thrown for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions and seemed well on his way to a fifth Pro Bowl. He may have even gotten some MVP consideration.

But Cousins is recovering from one of the most debilitating injuries in sports, and he is not exactly young. You would think that if he plays well in 2024, the Falcons would have no interest in moving him.

We’ll see what happens with Cousins next season and if the Steelers end up representing a potential destination for him next spring.