Vikings Rumors: Buzz picking up about Kirk Cousins to AFC North team

As free agency inches closer, one of the most notable recent Minnesota Vikings rumors has to do with Kirk Cousins possibly landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year.

Until a decision is actually made in a few weeks, the debate about whether Kirk Cousins is going to remain with the Minnesota Vikings or not will continue to smother any offseason discussions had by the team's fan base.

While some believe the Vikings and Cousins will eventually be able to work out a new deal this year, others have linked the veteran quarterback to multiple teams around the NFL.

Longtime sports broadcaster and radio host Dan Patrick is someone who recently added fuel to the conversations about Cousins leaving Minnesota this offseason. Patrick recently shared that he's been hearing more and more about the Pro Bowl signal-caller joining one of the most successful franchises in NFL history.

Vikings Rumors: Kirk Cousins to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 picking up steam

In the last few weeks, we've already heard about teams like the Atlanta Falcons, and even the Washington Commanders, as possible landing spots for Cousins this year.

But buzz about the quarterback signing with a certain AFC North team seems to be growing as we move further into the offseason.

That team is none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During a recent episode of "The Dan Patrick Show", Patrick revealed the following about what he's heard recently about Cousins.

"I'm starting to hear more Kirk Cousins to the Steelers... He is a good quarterback. At times, [a] very good quarterback. He'd be an upgrade for the Steelers. They wouldn't have to worry about their quarterback the way they do now."

Pittsburgh is coming off of a 10-7 season in 2023 that ended with them losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Buffalo Bills. Despite the loss in Buffalo, the Steelers just making the postseason was impressive, considering they started three different quarterbacks during the 2023 campaign.

Signing Cousins would be an interesting move for Pittsburgh to make since they just used a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to select Kenny Pickett.

But if there is steam getting out about the Steelers having interest in Cousins, it likely means they're ready to move on from Pickett as their starter.

Cousins in Pittsburgh seems like a good fit, as they already have a solid defense and some pieces on offense for the veteran quarterback to work with. However, it's unclear if the Steelers will be able to afford the amount of money that Cousins is hoping to get this offseason.

Currently, OverTheCap.com has Pittsburgh projected to begin the new league year in March more than $13 million over the 2024 salary cap.

With this being the case, the Steelers not only have to clear cap space to just get out of the red before the new league year begins, but then they would have to figure out how to create a bunch more space in order to sign Cousins.

So, while the current Vikings quarterback signing with Pittsburgh might seem like a good fit initially, the Steelers, at this point in time, don't really have enough resources to make a deal happen.