Kirk Cousins Would Make New Team Super Bowl Contender, Says Former NFLer
Dustin Baker
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The Pittsburgh Steelers may need a new quarterback in the next four months.
Kirk Cousins Would Make New Team Super Bowl Contender, Says Former NFLer
That’s the word out of Pennsylvania, as Kenny Pickett, who began 2023 as the team’s starter, floundered midseason and eventually never regained a job from Mason Rudolph after recovering from an injury. Pickett still has time to develop into something, but the Steelers might’ve bungled that 2022 draft pick.
And if the Steelers brass realizes it internally — already or in the coming weeks — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins could be available in free agency seven weeks from now. The Vikings have the option to extend Cousins by a year or two, but it is unclear if the club will meet his financial demands.
Meanwhile, one former NFLer believes Cousins in Pittsburgh would make the Steelers an instant Super Bowl contender. He’s Marcus Spears, who played in the NFL as an EDGE rusher for nine years. He’s high on Cousins.
When asked on ESPN’s Get Up this week if Cousins would elevate Pittsburgh to pronto Super Bowl contention, Spears replied, “You damn right they are. Absolutely, they are a Super Bowl contender with Cousins. You are absolutely right.”
Cousins could command between $40 and $50 million per season on the open market, whereas the Vikings might prefer something in the $30-$39 million range.
Spears continued, “An explosive offense with Mike Tomlin is a Super Bowl contender, I guarantee it. And what other further proof do we need? Here’s the thing when it comes to Mike Tomlin, alright? We just came off a conversation talking about being prepared. That Pittsburgh Steelers team had no business being in the playoffs this year. Zero, okay?”
Pittsburgh employs oodles of playmakers like George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and Pat Freiermuth, among others, and Cousins could indeed unlock their ceilings.
“They got two phenomenal edge rushers. They got a really good safety on the back end. Everything else on this team was patchwork. He [Tomlin] had to fire his offensive coordinator in the middle of the season, and they managed to get this team where they needed to be. He played with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph as his quarterbacks. And Mitch Trubisky. That’s all he’s missing,” Spears concluded.
Cousins to anywhere can be moot if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Cousins’ representation meet in the middle on a new contract, but Pittsburgh could explore the free-agent sweepstakes if not.
The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots are a couple of other teams that need a quarterback of Cousins’ caliber if they don’t draft one in April.
Cousins will turn 36 in August and is recovering from a torn Achilles. He was on pace for 5,000 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions before the injury last October.
The Steelers’ offense ranked 15th leaguewide in 2023 per offense DVOA with Pickett, Rudolph, and Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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