5 Washington Redskins Players Who Earned Raises in 2015

Kirk Cousins

This one is rather obvious, right? Cousins came in as the surprise starter to kick off the Redskins’ 2015 campaign, and absolutely crushed it. Not only did he take Washington from the bottom of the NFC East to the top, but he broke team records along the way and proved that he’s capable of being a franchise quarterback.

Statistically, it was an outstanding season for Cousins. While starting all 16 games, he compiled 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions through the air, and also added five touchdowns on the ground. To top it off, he showed off excellent accuracy by completing 69.8 percent of his passes on the year, good for best in the league among qualified quarterbacks. The fact that he led the Redskins to the playoffs helps, too.

Cousins made only $778,172 in 2015, but is expected to receive a new contract from the Redskins that could pay him close to $20 million annually. It’s certainly a risky move for a quarterback with only one impressive season under his belt, but he’s the savior that D.C. desperately needs and he’s earned both the team’s and fans’ respect at this point.

At least for now, the Redskins have found their franchise quarterback and will pay him as one.

Next: Bashaud Breeland