Steelers Have Fallen Off Kirk Cousins Trade

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a tumultuous offseason at the quarterback position, with their starting option at this point being former Steeler Mason Rudolph.

Now, while they continue to wait on the decision of controversial quarterback Aaron Rodgers, they seem to have lowered their interest on another possibility.

After being signed to a large contract by the Atlanta Falcons heading into last season, former Washington and Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins finished the season by being benched in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

It was rumored earlier in the offseason that the Steelers were possibly interested in a trade that would see them take on the significant cap hit to acquire the veteran quarterback.

Now, reports are stating that a deal that would bring Cousins to Pittsburgh is all but dead.

According to James Palmer of Bleacher Report, the Steelers will not be in the market for Cousins this season.

"The Steelers called and kicked the tires early, but my understanding is that Arthur Smith, being the former head coach in Atlanta, still knows plenty of people in that building and kind of got the word on where things are with Kirk in terms of his play and where he's at in terms of his play as a quarterback," Palmer said. "The Steelers, obviously, have fallen off."

It is unlikely that this is a reflection of the team as a whole, and instead a reflection of the price involved in the deal. Cousins accuracy is a large concern in his play, and he is not getting younger. Cousins was part of the 2012 NFL Draft quarterback class that saw Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill and Russell Wilson all get selected. It is possible the Steelers wait until next season for their franchise player, but overpaying for an older quarterback seems ill-advised.