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What Derek Carr’s massive deal could mean for Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins

By Jacob Camenker

Jun 13, 2017; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) addresses the media at minicamp press conference at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2017; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) addresses the media at minicamp press conference at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Cousins definitely benefits from this deal.

There is no doubt about it. Cousins has been trying to get the Redskins to pay him similarly to Luck. The Redskins had previously balked, likely due to the fact that Luck had posted a superior record and had a track record of playoff success. Cousins led the team there once, but was unable to win.

Now, the market changes greatly. Carr has only gotten his team to the playoffs once and he has never even played in a postseason game. The fact that he is likely getting a $25 million per year deal is unprecedented in and of itself, but the fact that he has not won a playoff game makes it more intriguing.

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Essentially, what this does is it allows quarterbacks that have great numbers but not necessarily great playoff records to argue for themselves. They can say that because Carr got paid, they should get paid as well. This should work favorably for Cousins.

The numbers from last season would suggest that Cousins may be a better player than Carr. Cousins completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 picks. Meanwhile, Carr completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns, and six picks. One could argue that Carr was better because of his lack of turnovers, but the numbers are essentially a wash.

Of course, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Carr did play a game less than Cousins and posted a 12-3 record. Cousins also had to deal with a team that had defensive deficiencies, and he often had to press to make up for them. The point is that the quarterbacks are very similar, so their deals should likely be similar. This is the argument that Cousins will use when negotiating a deal.

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