NFL Rumors: Steelers likely to go after Kirk Cousins if Aaron Rodgers pursuit fails

The Pittsburgh Steelers had seemingly gone all in on Aaron Rodgers to sign with the franchise and lead the offense next season. Had the four-time MVP not joined the team, they likely would have been left with Mason Rudolph as the starter and draft a signal-caller to fill the quarterback room.

However, the Steelers have a contingency plan if Rodgers opts to pass on the opportunity to sign with the franchise, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

"If they don’t land Aaron Rodgers, they’ll likely be interested in Cousins," Cabot wrote on Saturday.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons last offseason but was benched 14 games into the season for rookie Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta has already announced its plans to proceed with the latter as its starting quarterback in 2025, leaving the 36-year-old in the awkward position of being the most expensive backup signal-caller in the league.

Atlanta is open to keeping him on the roster if no team approaches them with a suitable offer for the quarterback. However, he's keen on playing next season and Pittsburgh needs a starter to lead the offense, making them a potential match. The Steelers are in no rush and will wait until Rodgers gives them a definite answer before making a move for Cousins.

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Aaron Rodgers to Steelers: Team unsure whether QB will sign with them

The Steelers' pursuit of Aaron Rodgers was seemingly going smoothly after he reportedly spent six hours at the team's facility, talking to coaches and the top brass. However, NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed the two sides are no closer to reaching an agreement. On ESPN's Get Up last week, he said:

"He met with their coaches, the two sides talked about what it would be like to work together, but there still was no answer about what Aaron Rodgers wants to do. There are people who believe that he may not play this year." [From 2:25]

Schefter added that there are murmurs that Rodgers is stalling the Steelers and is still waiting on the Minnesota Vikings to approach him:

"There are people who believe he's waiting to see if something might open down the line in Minnesota with the Vikings, but nobody knows for sure what Aaron Rodgers' game plan is, and for the time being, the Steelers are in the dark." [From 2:42]

The Steelers likely have set an expiry date on their Rodgers pursuit and will move on to their backup plan once the deadline passes.