Kirk Cousins will not have to prove himself to garner lucrative contract

There always seems to be talk about Kirk Cousins proving himself. However, he really doesn’t need to do much in order to land a big contract.

One of the biggest storylines of the past three offseason has been what will happen with Kirk Cousins. In his first season as a starter, the question was could he get the job done? The answer was yes. In the following two offseasons, the question has been about whether or not the Washington Redskins would invest in Cousins long term. In each of the past two seasons, they have slapped him with the franchise tag to elongate the process of answering that question.

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Because of this, there is often talk about how Cousins has to prove himself. He doesn’t have a long term deal, but he has the numbers to back up his performance and he has a playoff appearance under his belt. Still, many think that Cousins needs to prove himself, and ESPN’s John Keim said this in a recent article.

"Cousins has thrown for 9,083 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions the past two seasons, but he still isn’t signed to a long-term contract, and questions remain about where he ranks among quarterbacks. The Redskins have not yet offered him a contract commensurate with his leverage, though they keep telling him they want him."

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Keim raises some good points. There are debates about where Cousins ranks among quarterbacks. Some believe him to be a top 10 talent. Others believe he ranks more toward the middle of the pack. Regardless of where he ranks, he has performed well enough to earn a long term contract.

The truth is simple. In the NFL, you need an above average quarterback to be a title contender. Currently, there is a dearth of talent at the position, as there have not been many young signal callers that have been able to develop into quality players at the positions. Thus, the value of proven, veteran quarterbacks has gone up. Even unproven players like Brock Osweiler and Mike Glennon have gotten lucrative deals, so there is no reason to think that Cousins wouldn’t receive a big payday.

The only question is where that may be. Though the Redskins have expressed an interest in re-signing him, Cousins may be irked by the fact that they refused to offer him a quality long term deal despite performing well in two seasons. Like Keim said, Cousins has the leverage, and the Redskins did not recognize that. As a result, Cousins could opt to leave if he hits the open market, and he could end up with former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers.

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Throughout all of this, one thing remains clear. Unless Cousins plays absolutely terribly in 2017, he is going to get paid. He ranks at least among the top 15 quarterbacks in the league, and may even be a top 10 guy. Some team will give him a deal, and it should be in the realm of $22-$25 million per season if he continues to perform at the same level he did in the past two seasons. He is capable of leading a team to the playoffs, and that is what NFL teams want from their starting quarterbacks.

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