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Kirk Cousins Contract: Quarterback not “at peace” with long term contract before season

By Jacob Camenker

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 04: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 4, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 04: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins warms up prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 4, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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Kirk Cousins is playing on the franchise tag for the second straight season. The Washington Redskins quarterback spoke about why he chose to do that on Sunday.

Thankfully, the brunt of the Kirk Cousins contract saga is over. For now, at least. Prior to the 2017 offseason, there was a lot of pressure on the Washington Redskins to lock Cousins into a long term deal. However, the two sides couldn’t agree on a long term contract, and Cousins ended up signing on to play with the franchise tender in 2017.

Still, there was talk leading up to the July 17 deadline that Cousins and the Redskins could agree on an extension. It was a long shot, but some had hope that they could make an agreement. As the deadline approached, it became increasingly clear that a deal would not happen.

A few weeks later, Cousins has now spoken a few times on the reason that he didn’t want to sign a deal with the team. His most telling statement about his feelings came on Sunday at training camp. Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Cousins said the following.

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"“I didn’t feel at peace with signing a long-term deal at this juncture,” Cousins said after the team’s morning walk-through at training camp here Sunday. “I think the freedom that it allows on the other side of this season makes more sense. In the league, there’s so much change, so much turnover year after year, I think it makes a lot of sense to re-evaluate where we’re at, where the league’s at at the end of this season.”"

Cousins’ reasoning makes a lot of sense. He has a reason not to feel at peace with the type of deal that the Redskins were offering him. While the contract reportedly contained the highest amount of guarantees in any NFL contract ever, it was significantly lacking in potential incentives. Also, a good chunk of the guaranteed money came from the $24 million franchise tag that Cousins is playing under this season, so the numbers were a little skewed in favor of the Redskins.

Of course, the freedom that Cousins references is also a major part of the decision. On the open market, it’s possible that the quarterback could receive a record breaking contract near the $30 million per season range. Derek Carr’s $25 million per year deal helped to set a new market for quality starters, and players like Cousins and Matthew Stafford are set to benefit from that.

Next: Redskins release first depth chart of 2017

At the end of the day, there are no surprises about these comments. Cousins is not ready to commit long term to an organization that has had a lot of turnover on the roster and in the front office. It’s just like when the Redskins weren’t ready to commit to Cousins as their quarterback long term. The tables have turned, and the 2018 offseason will be the critical point for the relationship between the two parties.

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