Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins' Best Landing Spots After 2025 NFL Draft Day 1

The first round of the 2025 NFL draft is over. Two quarterback questions were answered on this day.

First, the Tennessee Titans officially selected Miami's Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, something that was well-known but not made official until Thursday evening. Of course, he'll be QB1 off the bat.

Second, the New York Giants selected their future franchise signal-caller in Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart after trading up from No. 34 to No. 25. He'll seemingly sit to start with veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston ahead of him, but Dart is the future.

Those were the only two quarterbacks chosen on Thursday, leaving a host of rookies waiting to hear their names called. But some veterans are pondering and wondering about their future as well, namely Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins.

Here's a look at their best landing spots after NFL draft Day 1.

Aaron Rodgers

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Top Landing Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings

The Pittsburgh Steelers are far and away the most logical landing spot for Rodgers, especially after they passed on taking a quarterback with the 21st overall pick on Thursday to select Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.

Pittsburgh only has two remaining picks in the top 150: No. 83 (Round 3) and No. 123 (Round 4). In other words, if the Steelers were looking to take a potential QB1 in this draft, they would have probably done so with their first-rounder.

The Steelers are waiting to hear back from Rodgers on his future, which includes the possibility of retirement, as he told ESPN's Pat McAfee.

Last month, Rodgers and the Steelers had a six-hour visit in Pittsburgh, a meeting that was considered "positive," per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

So the door is open in Pittsburgh. The question is whether Rodgers walks in.

If there's a backup plan that doesn't include the Steelers or retirement, it may be any team that potentially and unfortunately loses a starting quarterback in offseason workouts due to injury.

The Minnesota Vikings were also a team that loomed in reports this offseason, On Friday, March 28, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on the Scoop City podcast that sources she spoke with believed Rodgers preferred to sign with the Vikings.

Minnesota's de-facto QB1 right now is J.J. McCarthy, although he hasn't been officially anointed the starter. His rookie season was lost due to a torn meniscus suffered in a 2024 preseason game. ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported on where things are at right now.

"The Vikings haven't named McCarthy their 2025 starter, but they have bid farewell to three quarterbacks who spent time with them last season -- Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens -- and have not yet signed a replacement. Brett Rypien is the only other quarterback on the roster. The Vikings held serious internal discussions about signing veteran Aaron Rodgers last month but put the idea on hold while McCarthy works through the offseason."

So while the door on Rodgers seems shut, it also doesn't seem locked for good, either. Chances are Rodgers won't be a Viking. However, it doesn't feel 100 percent comfortable to completely rule that out.

Kirk Cousins

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr., File

Top Landing Spots: Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers

The Atlanta Falcons have moved forward with Michael Penix Jr. as their quarterback, signaling an abrupt end to the Kirk Cousins era after 14 starts.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with a no-trade clause last offseason. Any potential trade would be a complicated one given his deal, the clause and the way he ended last season (one touchdown, nine interceptions in five games before being benched). Cousins reportedly wants to be released to get a chance to play elsewhere, as relayed by ESPN's Marc Raimondi, but the Falcons reportedly don't have interest in doing so.

But if the Falcons and Cousins move on via trade, a few teams stand out. Here's what The Athletic's Dianna Russini said on the matter Wednesday.

"The Browns, Steelers and possibly Vikings could be involved in a Cousins trade. 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."

Of those three, the AFC North teams make the most sense.

The Cleveland Browns have veteran Joe Flacco leading the QB room right now. Flacco, of course, was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 after jumping off the couch to sign with Cleveland and lead the team to the playoffs. But the Browns could use another signal-caller in the room, and Cousins could perhaps be that guy (or maybe Cleveland could add one on Day 2).

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Steelers are clearly hoping Rodgers says yes to them, but if not, Pittsburgh needs to pursue other options. They have a solid backup in Mason Rudolph leading the depth chart right now, but they need a QB1 option at the helm. Cousins could certainly be that choice here.