After a rough 2023 season at the quarterback position, Pittsburgh Steelers fans are waiting to see how the team will fix it this offseason.
There had been hope that they would get an offensive coordinator who could help Kenny Pickett improve.
Then they hired Arthur Smith, who might be able to help the offense as a whole, but has found more success in the run game than as a QB whisperer.
That has left fans hoping the team might bring in a new QB who can compete with the Pro Bowl talents in the AFC North.
There are some options out there, but opinions vary on which one is the right answer or if the team will even pursue one.
Former Steelers corner Rod Woodson believes the team should go after one and knows exactly who it should be.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, he told Eisen the Steelers should go after Kirk Cousins.
“I just don’t know that the quarterback of the future is there. I just don’t know,” Woodson said. “…I think it’d be a really good idea if you get Kirk Cousins, who’s been there, who’s done it, he’s an older guy. He knows how to play, how to distribute the football, he can throw the football down the field.”
Cousins’ contract is expiring after his sixth season with the Minnesota Vikings. If the team can’t come to an agreement with him on another extension, it could create an enticing opportunity for another team.
One of Football’s Most Underrated QBs
Cousins hasn’t been mentioned among the NFL’s best QBs at any point during his career, but he has consistently produced impressive numbers since becoming a full-time starter back in 2015.
Since 2015, Cousins has thrown for more than 4000 yards in seven of nine seasons. One of the seasons where he didn’t was the 2023 season, where he tore his achilles in his eighth game of the year.
Before the injury, Cousins was on pace to post some gaudy numbers. His 17-game pace for the 2023 season was 4953 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Both of those numbers would have led the NFL this past season.
The torn achilles at 35 is a certainly a concern, but Cousins has been good enough to overlook it.
Despite his 1-3 career record in the playoffs, Cousins could be what the Steelers need to end their playoff losing streak.
Rooney Didn’t Rule Out a Move for the Steelers
In a February 6 interview with KDA TV’s Bob Pompeani, team owner Art Rooney II said it was unlikely that the team would end up trading for a QB.
That means the team probably isn’t going to be getting Justin Fields.
However, Rooney also left the door open for the team to potentially sign somebody at the position.
“As we sit here in early February, we’re not closing the door on anything,” Rooney told Pompeani (via 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi. “We have a lot of evaluations to go through, and we’ll go through all the options and do what we need to do to be better this coming season.”
Cousins could be one of those options. Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, and Ryan Tannehill could also be options.
Bringing back Mason Rudolph and just adding a late-round rookie could also be all the Steelers have planned for the offseason.
For now it seems fans can still hope that the team might make a move at QB to give themselves a better chance to contend.