The Atlanta Falcons made shockwaves during the NFL Draft for the second straight year. After selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection one year ago, the Falcons doubled up on edge rushers and made a controversial trade in the process on Thursday night.
This is nothing against Georgia’s Jalon Walker or Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., who will look to revive a Falcons pass rush that was 31st in the NFL with 31 sacks last year. But it is something to suggest a bigger move is coming including a trade involving disgruntled quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is still on the Falcons roster but may not be for long. After rumors the Falcons wanted any suitor to eat $20 million of Cousins’s contract were denied, a trade has been considered imminent by an anonymous GM. But the odds of that deal skyrocketed at the end of Thursday night and it could give the 36-year-old a new home as soon as this weekend.
Steelers Selection of Derrick Harmon is Great News For Falcons
The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of many teams that had a quarterback issue heading into Thursday night. With Aaron Rodgers taking his time, the Steelers had just Mason Rudolph and Skyler Thompson on the roster as they went on the clock with the 21st overall pick.
Some believed the Steelers would have been the team to select Shedeur Sanders, who went from potential top-five pick to second-round selection on Thursday night. But the Steelers chose another direction, selecting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Harmon is a beast in the trenches and will shore up Mike Tomlin’s defense. But he doesn’t play quarterback which telegraphs the Steelers’ intentions. While they could just be waiting for Rodgers to make up his mind, they are running out of time and options and could call the Falcons about Cousins.
Cousins is coming off a tough season and was benched in December but there’s a chance there’s some good football left in him. Rodgers had his own struggles coming off a torn Achilles tendon with the New York Jets but he played well down the stretch with a 64% completion rate, 223 yards per game, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions over his final 10 games.
If the Falcons didn’t select Penix in last year’s draft, there’s a chance that Cousins would get a final shot in Atlanta entering his age-37 season. But because the Falcons don’t need him, he could provide value somewhere else and his best spot may be Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have a solid supporting cast with the addition of DK Metcalf this offseason. While they could look to trade George Pickens, Pittsburgh still has tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Jalen Warren. They also could add reinforcements in the draft, which could give Cousins the tools he needs to be successful and provide stability to their situation.
The best part is that the Steelers have run out of leverage. Pittsburgh doesn’t have another pick until the third round (83rd overall) and while the league has been bearish on quarterbacks, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe will likely be off the board when the Steelers are on the clock again.
Will this be the catalyst that finally inspires a team to put forth the money and draft capital to acquire Cousins? Or will the Steelers continue to be influenced by Rodgers’s spell? It’s a storyline that will play out over the next two days and could put the Falcons in the driver’s seat.