First Call: Kirk Cousins’ camp keeping an eye on Steelers’ QB situation; Ryan Clark’s future at ESPN unclear
A big-name free-agent quarterback may have an interest in playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. J.J. Watt is blowing off some derogatory comments about his brother from Micah Parsons. Ryan Clark’s status at ESPN is uncertain.
The Penguins are about to play a team that’s in even worse shape than they are. And the Duquesne women’s basketball team just keeps winning.
Keeping watch
When it comes to the quarterback rumor mill of late, the most commonly linked player to the Steelers has been Chicago’s Justin Fields. That’s if the Bears are interested in trading him.
Now, for the first time, we are seeing a little smoke on the Kirk Cousins front. That would require a significant free-agent contract and a great deal of faith that Cousins recovers fully from his Achilles tendon injury.
But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio told 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday that if the Steelers do have an interest in signing Cousins, that interest might be mutual.
“I was talking to some people last week who seem 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 said. “There’s an acknowledgment that it could happen. The Falcons and the Steelers are the two teams that I think the Cousins camp is keeping an eye on.”
The phrase “people very close to, if not within, the Kirk Cousins camp” feels intentionally obscure to me. But if the greater point from Florio is that he’s being told Cousins and those close to him have an interest in Pittsburgh, that is something to monitor.
Cousins has always been my vote for what the Steelers should do at QB next year, depending on how his contract will be structured. If the club and his representatives can work out a manageable deal, then I say do it. He’d bring the offense instant credibility and balance that Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Ryan Tannehill, Fields or “fill in the blank” draft choice would not.
Indeed, whatever Cousins would cost would be expensive. Then again, how much has subpar quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger blew out his elbow cost the team in terms of chances for contention in the playoffs?
Does that cost mean anything?
Maybe Cousins’ asking price, term, or structure demands for his contract won’t make sense for the Steelers, but it would for Atlanta or another team.
OK, then. So be it. Move on.
But if I’m Omar Khan and the Steelers, I’d have to be talked out of it. It wouldn’t take much to talk me into it.
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