Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Mason Rudolph

Tuesday, May 27, 1:13 PM

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said he did not see quarterback Kirk Cousins at voluntary organized team activities on Tuesday. It shouldn't come as a surprise to many after the 36-year-old veteran signal-caller had a disastrous first year in Atlanta in 2024. He didn't play well coming off an Achilles tear the year prior and was eventually benched late in the year for rookie first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. Cousins will enter the 2025 campaign as Penix's backup, but he desperately would prefer to be traded to a team that will give him a chance to start again. Among the teams that could be willing to trade for him include the Browns, Steelers and Vikings, but the Falcons are going to need to facilitate a trade by eating a large portion of his $27.5 million guaranteed salary for 2025, which they so far have not been willing to do.

Wednesday, May 28, 11:59 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph opened OTAs with the first-team offense on Tuesday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. This news isn't much of a surprise, but it does confirm head coach Mike Tomlin's vision as full-team practices get underway this summer. Presumably, the starting quarterback job is Rudolph's to lose, barring an external quarterback addition such as Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins. Rudolph's internal competition comes from Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard. Thompson has completed just 58.7 percent of his career passes with one touchdown, three interceptions, and two fumbles. He primarily served as a backup over three seasons in Miami. Meanwhile, Howard is a rookie who impressed at Ohio State, but he has suboptimal draft capital as a sixth-round pick. On the other hand, Rudolph has shown flashes of potential during his time with the Steelers (2018-2023) and Titans (2024). In Tennessee last year, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions.