Steelers' Mike Tomlin Says Team Didn't Seriously Look Into Kirk Cousins In 2024 Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Steelers were looking for better quarterback performance in the 2024 offseason. Mason Rudolph's play coming off the bench in 2023 was some of the best since Ben Roethlisberger retired and led the team back to the playoffs. Kenny Pickett lost his starting position after an ankle injury and poor performance. Mitch Trubisky replaced Pickett, but lost his starting position after poor showings in two games. General Manager Omar Khan said at the 2024 NFL Combine that the team had to explore every avenue to improve the team, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin revealed that the team didn't even look into the top free agent at quarterback. 

Kirk Cousins was arguably the top free agent quarterback in the 2024 class. The 35-year-old was putting together a 2023 season that might've gotten him into the Most Valuable Player of the Year conversation before he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 8. He was tied for first in the league in passing touchdowns with 18, and second in passing yards with 2,331. ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor shared on X from the 2024 NFL Annual League Meeting in Orlando that Tomlin said the team didn't pursue the veteran quarterback. 

"Mike Tomlin says they didn’t look at Kirk Cousins in the free agency process," Pryor wrote. 

When looking at the decisions the team made in upgrading the quarterback room, it makes sense why Cousins didn't factor in. Pittsburgh made two relatively low-risk bets on Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson, also 35, is coming to Pittsburgh on a veteran minimum contract, as the Denver Broncos continue to pay him $39 million to not play for them in 2024. The team picked up Fields for a conditional sixth-round pick. 

Cousins on the other hand was nowhere close to a bargain. He got paid handsomely by the Atlanta Falcons to jump ship from the Minnesota Vikings. The other element of risk with Cousins is the injury. While he has posted some videos on social media of him working his way back to being able to throw a football effectively, it's hard to know with Achilles tears, especially for older athletes. $100 million guaranteed is a big bet on any player, let alone a 35-year-old coming off a serious injury. 

Steelers Will Play Out 2024 With Their Budget Bets

Pittsburgh will have Wilson, who turns 36 in November, as their starter out of the gate, Tomlin confirmed in Orlando. Fields will get a chance to compete "when it's time," but Wilson will have every opportunity to lead the team out of training camp. 

The former Super Bowl winner has had a challenging last three seasons with the ill-fated move from the Seattle Seahawks to Denver. His first season with the Broncos was an unmitigated disaster as Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett got fired midseason. Wilson was the most-sacked quarterback in the league in 2022 and threw 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He improved in 2023 under Sean Payton, but the two didn't seem to mesh well, which led to Wilson's benching when the team knew they would release him in the offseason. Wilson threw 26 touchdowns and reduced his interceptions to eight in 2023. 

Fields potentially represents more of an option for the future as he is only 25. The former Chicago Bears starting quarterback is an electric runner. He has 2,220 career rushing yards in three seasons, including 1,143 yards in 13 games in the 2022 season. The Ohio State product has struggled with ball control, with 38 career fumbles and 30 interceptions. That will be something Tomlin will want to try to coach out of him. 

Pittsburgh decided to go cheap and low-risk with the potential for a high reward at the quarterback position. It makes sense that with the team currently spending big on defense with stars TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cam Heyward all making big bucks, the team would find bargains elsewhere. If they can get even marginally improved quarterback play from the last few years, it is a bet worth making. 

Are you surprised Tomlin would admit the team didn't look into Cousins? Would you have wanted the veteran quarterback in Pittsburgh?