With the 2025 NFL Draft finally here, the rumors are heating up. Quarterbacks are often over-talked about during the draft itself, but now it appears some veteran QBs like Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell are reportedly in the mix for potential trades.
NFL Draft Buzz: Kirk Cousins, Aidan O’Connell Among Veteran QBs Drawing Trade Speculation
As the 2025 NFL Draft gets set to begin Thursday, a handful of teams are still searching for a viable option at quarterback. Unfortunately for those crews, this year’s signal-caller draft class isn’t the deepest.
That being said, some teams could look to fill their passing need by acquiring an experienced player at the position. There are a few that appear to be on the market, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
“Players who could be traded during the draft include QBs Kirk Cousins, Aidan O’Connell, Will Levis and Sam Howell,” Russini wrote Wednesday.
Per CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr, the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers are possible landing spots for Cousins. Russini listed three of those teams as true options.
“The Browns, Steelers and possibly Vikings could be involved in a Cousins trade,” Russini said. “Minnesota is looked at as the least likely scenario, given its preference for J.J. McCarthy and that Cousins would need to sign off on any trade he is involved in.
“It’s believed that Cousins would be against any trade that involves sending him to a situation involving a young QB, similar to the situation he faced in Atlanta last year. If a trade were to happen, I’d expect it to go down on Saturday.”
At the moment, Cleveland has Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. The Steelers, meanwhile, let both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson depart in free agency last month. As of now, Pittsburgh’s quarterback room includes Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, both of whom are regarded as ho-hum options as the team’s starter.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan said the team will add two quarterbacks by the time training camp rolls around. Pittsburgh is still waiting on Aaron Rodgers to decide if he wants to join the fold or not.
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“I’ll just tell you guys the same thing we discussed in Palm Beach a couple weeks ago,” Khan said. “You know, we go to camp with four quarterbacks. Right now, we have two on the roster, and, you know, all options are on the table in how we acquire those last two. I assure you, we’ll have four when we get to Latrobe.”
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