Aaron Rodgers is once again dragging out his decision on whether or not he’s going to retire. It’s the fifth consecutive offseason this discussion has come up. The topic has become tedious, and football fans are starting to get tired of it. According to reports, so are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have now been linked to signing Kirk Cousins.
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Cousins was released by the Atlanta Falcons recently and is now a free agent. He’s still unsigned, with hardly any reports about where he’ll eventually land. Some believe the Green Bay Packers could make a move for him after losing their backup QB, Malik Willis.
If Cousins does pair up with the Steelers, though, former wide receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter is very much on board with it. In fact, he believes Cousins is the better option.
“If Pittsburgh doesn’t decide with Aaron Rodgers, I believe they go for Kirk Cousins, which I believe is a better option,” Carter stated on his podcast, Fully Loaded.
Why does Carter think this is the best option for the Steelers? “Because he can play multiple years. And, I mean, Kirk Cousins is a good thrower of the football as you can get. Now, they’ve still gotta improve their offensive line, still improve their running game. But I like Kirk Cousins because there’s a plan into the future,” added the former wideout.
Saying Cousins can play for multiple years is a bit of a stretch. Ever since he tore his Achilles in 2023, he’s looked like a shell of his former self. He’s an admirable veteran QB who can step in as a backup in a pinch. But the idea of thrusting him into a starting role likely wouldn’t be well received.
However, running it back with Rodgers also wouldn’t sit well with Steelers fans. He’s 42 years old and just showed he can’t hang in the pocket as long as he once could. He also struggles to move and is another QB coming off an Achilles tear. Since then, he’s looked like a completely different player.
Later on, Carter took some shots at Rodgers, saying he’s not retiring because the drama would fade away if he did.
“That’s why it’s so hard for him to retire, because there ain’t no drama once you retire… We’ll see if he disappears into the sunset like he said he would. We’ll see. That attention is addicting.”
It’s really anyone’s best guess whether or not Rodgers will return in ‘26. If we had to give one, we’d say that he most likely will. But it’s hard to imagine him making any real impact at this point.
At the end of the day, Rodgers needs to retire, and the Steelers should be exploring other options outside of him, such as Cousins. Regardless of his return, he’s simply not a good QB anymore, and the team would be better suited trying someone else out. It may sound harsh, but it’s the truth of the matter. We’d be kidding ourselves if we tried to defend him any longer.
It’s been a Hall of Fame career that we’ve seen from Rodgers. But now, it may be time for him to hang up the cleats and walk away from the game. Stop trying to chase a title that everyone knows isn’t coming, and go out with at least a bit of dignity.
