The Baltimore Ravens are kick-starting a new era this offseason. They needed it desperately. While they had a shot at the playoffs until the very end in a disastrous AFC North last year, they ultimately fell short. What left an even more bitter taste in their mouths is that they let their heated rival Pittsburgh Steelers, sneak into the playoffs.
While the Ravens were perhaps the most disappointing team in the NFL this past year, they are far from the only one entering 2026 with a new head coach. They made one of the more notable hires in head coach Jesse Minter, but their division counterparts also find themselves with a different coach leading the way. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, and the Cleveland Browns brought in a familiar face in former Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
About a month into their offseasons, it’s fair to say the Ravens are slowly making their way back to the top of the division. While they’ve made some exceptional hires, they’ve seen their rivals make questionable moves on the coaching front. That could continue, too. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently highlighted five trades that could shake up the 2026 NFL Draft, and among those were the Pittsburgh Steelers making a trade for…Kirk Cousins? Sobleski wrote:
“As of now, the plan in Pittsburgh seems to be bringing Aaron Rodgers back to lead the offense. Considering how this past season went and the fact Rodgers turns 43 during the 2026 campaign, the organization should go in a different direction.”
“In Pittsburgh, new head [coach] Mike McCarthy hired Brian Angelichio as his offensive coordinator. Angelichio served as Cousins' passing game coordinator during the 27-year-old veteran's last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.”
New developments signal a potential Cousins-Steelers pairing to be an even stronger possibility. On Saturday, it was reported that Cousins is expected to be released by the Atlanta Falcons. This makes the reality of Cousins coming to the AFC North all the more possible, and it would be a huge win for the Ravens.
Ravens could luck into another rival quarterback blunder in 2026
Sure, the landing spot could make some sense. It makes sense why Sobleski suggested that possibility, especially given the lack of depth in this year’s quarterback class in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, it would be another year where the Steelers fail to find their franchise quarterback in the offseason. The revolving door of veterans on the back end of their careers would continue.
The Steelers haven’t been able to find their next great quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger hung up the cleats. They already pressed their luck with a rookie first-rounder in a weak class when they selected Kenny Pickett 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Veterans since the Pickett experiment failed haven’t worked out, though. Justin Fields didn’t stick, Russell Wilson failed to provide a spark, and Aaron Rodgers was fine, but Father Time is clearly catching up to him.
If it’s not Rodgers in 2026, Cousins may be among the best-case scenarios if you’re a Ravens fan. He was better than he was in 2024, but in his eight starts this year, he was still throwing interceptions at a less-than-desirable rate. He finished the year completing 61.7 percent of passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Cousins would be going into his age-38 season in 2026. He’s also not the most athletic quarterback. If he does join the Steelers, that would give the Ravens’ defense a golden opportunity to develop under new head coach Jesse Minter. The pass rush certainly needs it, and seeing an older, unathletic quarterback under center on the opposite side would give them a chance to thrive.
It’s all speculation right now, but it sounds like there could be some smoke there.