Kirk Cousins Deal: Quarterback market could soon hit $30 million per year
The Washington Redskins appear to be too late in their pursuit to ink Kirk Cousins to a team friendly deal. The market value of quarterbacks is continuing to go up year in and year out.
When Derek Carr signed his deal with the Oakland Raiders earlier in the week, many were right to speculate how the deal would impact the quarterback market. Carr, a quarterback who has not notched a single playoff win and has a career record of 22-25, landed an extension with the Raiders that made him the highest paid quarterback in league history. The deal was for five years and $125 million. It also demonstrated one thing. The quarterback position is, in fact, the most important in the NFL.
The Raiders had not been a competitive team since the 2002 Super Bowl featuring Rich Gannon. Carr’s improved play in his third year allowed them to reach the playoffs and had it not been for an injury he suffered late in the season, they may have won a game or two. At the same time, the Raiders ponied up a lot of money for his services, and that could force the hand of other NFL teams with similar quarterbacks. That will include the Washington Redskins.
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The Redskins have long been facing a decision about their starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Is he a franchise quarterback? The Redskins seem to think so, but refused to pay him over a long term deal. The logic was somewhat sound after the first season. He had not proven himself to be a consistent starter yet. He had a strong stretch and led the team to the playoffs, but the Redskins were smart to wonder if that was just a flash in the pan type scenario. So, during the 2016 offseason, they used the franchise tag on him.
In 2016, Cousins again had a torrid stretch, but failed to get the team into the playoffs despite having a win-and-in scenario in Week 17. Once again, the Redskins were skeptical of Cousins’ ability to lead a team, and the two sides were far apart on a deal. So once again, the team used the franchise tag on him, this time worth nearly $24 million.
Unfortunately, the Redskins appear to have miscalculated in their pursuit of a long-term deal with Cousins. The quarterback had long been rumored to be looking for an Andrew Luck type deal that would pay about $25 million per year. The Redskins balked at that price for too long early in the process as they looked for Cousins to prove himself. If they were confident in the way he played after the 2016 season, they should have just signed him to a long term deal. Now, there is a chance that they could get into a bidding war with other teams if Cousins hits the free agent market.