Florio was on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday, and the subject of Cousins to the Steelers didn’t take long to come up. While there is going to be a high price tag attached to Cousins, it could be worthwhile for what the veteran could bring to Pittsburgh. Considering what the Steelers have experienced at quarterback since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the prospect of Cousins in black and gold could be tempting.

“I frankly think the Steelers are going to do something at quarterback. They’re going to get a veteran. They’re not gonna roll the dice again with a bottom-third of the first round, or close to it, draft pick and hope that that guy develops. The reality is, you know, the draft happens weeks after free agency starts. There are multiple options available. I don’t know if the Steelers would dig deep enough to pay a guy like Kirk Cousins, but I was talking to some people last week who seemed to be intrigued by the possibility of the Steelers making a play for Kirk Cousins! And those people were very close to, if not within, the Kirk Cousins camp.”

Florio was immediately pressed to clarify what he said regarding the possibility of Cousins becoming the Steelers quarterback. While Florio didn’t give the statement full confirmation, from what he has been hearing, there is enough to have the Steelers among only two teams in the running.

“It’s an acknowledgment that it could happen. The [Atlanta] Falcons and the Steelers are the two teams that I think the Cousins camp is keeping an eye on.”

Cousins will likely carry a price tag of around $30 million per year, according to Pro Football Focus, but it could be too much value to pass up. The idea of a few years with a competent quarterback compared to the likelihood of another draft pick to develop has Cousins looking pretty good.

Steelers Can’t Rely On Kenny Pickett Yet

Life in the Steelers’ front office would be much simpler if Pickett would have grown into what Pittsburgh envisioned when they spent a first-round pick on him in 2022. However, that isn’t the case, as injuries and stagnancy have made it incredibly difficult to know what they have in Pickett.

This uncertainty puts the Steelers in a position where, as much as they want to sit comfortably with Pickett, they have no reason to. A career that has tallied 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 games isn’t close to what is expected from a franchise quarterback. Cousins, despite the age issue, would provide the Steelers with a semblance of stability as they find the right man for the future of the team.

With a ton of time until the 2024 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh knows that if they get this decision wrong, it could hamstring the franchise for years. The drop in production since the era of Roethlisberger has been drastic and not at all up to the usual standard in Pittsburgh. If the Steelers see Cousins as the answer, even just for the moment, it could be the breath of fresh air that the organization needs.