The team that signed the lowest-paying quarterback of the offseason apparently courted Kirk Cousins, the player who inked the biggest deal in 2024 NFL free agency. It’s a crazy story, but it seems to be real.
Prior to signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins was thinking about accepting a return deal from the Minnesota Vikings. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, however, also piqued the curiosity of the Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports that the Steelers looked at a number of quarterbacks this offseason, including bringing Ryan Tannehill back together with Arthur Smith, his former offensive coordinator. Additionally, the Steelers reportedly gave signing Cousins a “cursory look.”
But the Cousins’ chase was short-lived. The 35-year-old quarterback, who was coming off an Achilles injury, was not in Pittsburgh’s price range, so they quickly chose to move on. Given that he signed Russell Wilson to a $1.21 million contract instead of accepting $100 million in guaranteed money, it’s safe to assume the Steelers saved a ton of money.
There is no assurance that Cousins would have preferred Pittsburgh’s circumstances over what he found in Atlanta, where he had a group of young weapons ready to fly all over the field, even if the Steelers had been willing to go closer to meeting his asking price. Even the Vikings, with Justin Jefferson, weren’t the best fit. The Steelers ultimately succeeded in building a very solid quarterback room without having to spend a fortune.
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