Ben Roethlisberger and Kirk Cousins shared the league for a time, but that’s now over. Roethlisberger has long since moved on from working on the gridiron to speaking about others working on the gridiron.
With Cousins now far from guaranteed to start in 2025, the quarterback might be on a similar path. One seemingly final chance for Cousins could be the Pittsburgh Steelers, but getting Roethlisberger’s stamp of approval could be a big endorsement. Here’s what Mike Tomlin’s former quarterback had to say.
Ben Roethlisberger Doesn’t Want Kirk Cousins on His Former Team
Speaking on a May 27 edition of the “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast, the former Steelers star gave his take on whether Cousins would work with his former team.
“The problem is, I think Atlanta said there someone else had to take like, $20 million [of Cousins’ cost]. I can’t see that happening. I’m just being honest.”
Roethlisberger was asked if he was open to having Cousins in Pittsburgh. Answering while eating a batch of chicken wings, he said he would have been open to the move “earlier.”
“I would have earlier, not now at this point.”
Cousins remains with the Atlanta Falcons for the moment, although in a prison of his own making. The quarterback has a no-trade clause and seemingly the power to waive it at any point. He has not, choosing to stick around.
Despite getting benched, Cousins finished with the 24th-best QB+ metrics by PFSN in the league in 2024, which could help his landing spot selection this offseason.
Cousins’ Eventual Destination Could Be Somewhere Completely off the Radar
Cousins has a reputation as a shrewd businessman. The most logical business-first approach to the situation suggests waiting to be the optimal choice.
The quarterback has every reason to wait until a position opens up with a previously unforeseen team in August or September due to injury or any other reason for an unexpected absence. At that point, the team in need will be more desperate and thus more willing to pay up.
Plus, it would allow Cousins to skip the quarterback competition entirely. If he chooses a destination now with a random team in the offseason, he is likely to be subjected to competition. However, if a team in need is down a quarterback during the season and decides to trade for Cousins, there essentially wouldn’t be a competition because Cousins would be seen as the solution from the jump.
Additionally, desperate teams trade at a higher price, making it a win-win for the Falcons as well. Simply put, patience and delayed gratification could pay off for both parties. Unless a surprising development happens, it could still be months before Cousins’ fate is secured for 2025.