For several weeks, Kirk Cousins was rumored as Plan B for the Pittsburgh Steelers in case Aaron Rodgers did not want to return for the 2026 season. Now, that scenario no longer exists.
Cousins has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving the board of potential starting quarterbacks in free agency empty. As a result, the Steelers have been left very limited in their options moving forward.
What Mike McCarthy wants is for Rodgers to return, but if the Super Bowl champion QB retires or decides to wait for another team, the consequences could be enormous for the franchise’s near future.
Steelers QB situation for 2026
If Aaron Rodgers does not return, the name that would appear to have the edge as starting quarterback for 2026 would be Will Howard. Mike McCarthy has spoken highly of the national champion with Ohio State and, in his second year in the NFL, could hand him the reins of the team in a situation that could ultimately be a win-win.
A surprise and successful season for Howard would mean the Steelers have finally found the franchise quarterback of the future and the successor to Ben Roethlisberger. A bargain for a sixth-round pick.
On the other hand, if the season is disastrous, a poor record would likely leave Pittsburgh with a top-10 pick to attack the 2027 Draft, which features one of the best QB classes of the past decades. The answer could be there.
Additionally, the Steelers’ passivity in free agency could also suggest they already have clues about what Rodgers’ decision will be. Because of that, pursuing Kirk Cousins may have never been a priority.
