Falcons' $180 million blunder lands on Steelers' radar as Aaron Rodgers remains unsigned

The Atlanta Falcons are looking for a breakout year, especially on the offensive side of the ball, thanks to an exciting young core. The offense features Drake London, Michael Penix Jr., and Bijan Robinson. Toward the end of last season, fans caught a glimpse of what this group is capable of. Now, with the team moving toward a younger quarterback in Penix Jr., it's only a matter of time before the Falcons find a trade partner for veteran Kirk Cousins.

One of the few remaining suitors for Cousins is the Pittsburgh Steelers—particularly if they fail to reach a deal with Aaron Rodgers soon.

“Realistically, at this point, it seems like the two possible exit doors for Cousins open if the Steelers don’t land Rodgers or another quarterback gets hurt somewhere,” Albert Breer wrote. “But even if there’s an injury, it’d have to happen before the trade deadline. And there’s a chance that Cousins wouldn’t want to uproot his family—and could thus block a trade if he doesn’t like the destination.”

If the Steelers do decide to pursue Cousins, they would need to absorb a significant portion of his contract.

“Kirk Cousins would be the ideal backup plan if the Rodgers deal falls flat — but there's a catch. The Steelers would likely need to take on at least $20 million of his guaranteed money. It would be a win-win for both Cousins and the Steelers, should Pittsburgh take on the financial challenge,” Andrew Vasquez wrote.

What was once just speculation may now be turning into legitimate interest, as Cousins appears to be on Pittsburgh’s radar while Rodgers continues to delay a decision.

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“I had some conversations with people this week that led me to believe that Cousins is at the very least on the Steelers’ radar, if something were [to] fall through on Rodgers,” Jeremy Fowler reported.

The Falcons could finally move on from Cousins’ massive contract, though they would likely still have to cover a portion of it. As the Rodgers situation drags on, the Steelers may eventually grow tired of waiting—and when they do, Cousins could become their top target.