Playing on his second straight franchise tag, Kirk Cousins is showing why the Redskins may have missed the boat on their franchise quarterback since day one.
Washington is sitting with a 3-2 record heading into a prime time showdown with the division leading Eagles. Quarterback Kirk Cousins will look to put his team two games above .500 and put a dent in the Eagles’ division lead in the process. While the team is vastly improved on defense, and has a chance to stake their claim as one of the top teams in the NFC, the biggest story remains with the man under center.
Kirk Cousins, who has been disrespected by the front office for two years, with 2018 being a possible third year, has done nothing but make them look foolish each time. In 2015, Cousins became the starter before the start of the regular season, with the former No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III on the bench. After a fringe pro-bowl caliber year in 2015, and leading the team to a division championship, Washington’s front office low balled the free agent quarterback. The team failed to even come close to the deal Brock Osweiler received from Houston, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Cousins had a much larger, and much better sample to look at, and the Redskins still gave him less than Osweiler. It was later reported that the Cousins camp had offered Washington a team-friendly deal at $19.5 million per year, the price of his eventual tag, as reported by 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen.
Source tells me Kirk Cousins' camp offered the #Redskins a "3-year deal last February worth $19.5M a year w/ significant guarantees."
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 9, 2017
After receiving his first franchise tag, Cousins went on to lead Washington to its first back-to-back winning seasons since the ’97-’98 seasons. In 2016, Cousins finished third in passing yardage per NFL.com’s stats, with a career best 4,917 yards, a number that shattered Cousins’ previous record set the year before. Another offseason came after Washington had just missed the post season in 2016, leaving the Redskins with a big decision regarding their franchise passer. Set to make $24 million on his second franchise tag, Cousins turned down the Redskins offer of $20 million per year with low guarantees. Cousins decided again to bet on himself, and he’s winning that bet.
Losing two 1,000 yard receivers in Desean Jackson and Pierre Garçon this offseason, in addition to prodigy coordinator Sean McVay, Kirk Cousins was set up for a big regression by the Redskins.
Despite having Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder, Cousins also has to deal with two new receivers on the outside. Struggling to get on the same page with free agent addition Terrelle Pryor and former first round pick Josh Doctson, Cousins has handled the situation exceptionally. Currently holding a top three QB rating at 106.4, Cousins is in elite company, with only Tom Brady and MVP hopeful Alex Smith in front of him.
Cousins has shown over the past two plus years that he is a top ten quarterback, one deserving of a fair market contract. Washington has refused to play ball with Cousins, and as result, they may end up losing the best quarterback they’ve had in years. With teams such as Cleveland and San Francisco struggling due to poor QB play and lack of talent all around, not diving back into the quarterback carousel should be atop Washington’s to-do list. How do they stay out? It’s simple. Sign Cousins.
In the midst of what could be Cousins’ last year in D.C., Washington needs to show loyalty to Cousins. With former mentor and supporter Kyle Shanahan in dire need of a franchise arm in San Fransisco, Cousins may head out west, should owner Dan Snyder and president Bruce Allen beat around the bush again.
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Another franchise tag would slot Cousins at around $35 million for 2018, a price tag that just isn’t very realistic, or smart. Cousins would account for well over half of Washington’s projected cap room, predicted by Rich Tandler of NBC Sports, in 2018. Should the franchise tag be placed on him for a third time, it would be a very expensive proposition. This leaves Washington with two realistic options. Pay Kirk, or let him walk.
A new deal for Kirk Cousins to remain the Redskins quarterback, would push his average salary over $30 million per year, a historic mark for quarterbacks. With Matthew Stafford signing his record $27 million dollar deal this past offseason, and former MVP Matt Ryan due to get an extension, Cousins will most likely sit back and wait until he can break the bank as the league’s highest paid player. A situation such as that may force the Redskins hand, and allow the passer to hit the open market, more than likely ending the Kirk Cousins era in Washington.
Since becoming the full time starter in 2015, Cousins has thrown for over 10,000 yards, logging 63 touchdowns to only 25 interceptions. With just over half a season left, Kirk Cousins has a chance to once again find himself in the top five for yardage and touchdowns. Cousins continues to show week in and week out that he is a franchise passer, and he keeps proving Washington wrong for betting on his regression.
Next: It's time for Josh Doctson to prove his worth
With a receiving core providing lackluster performances, and a running game that continues to struggle, Cousins has been able to get the job done. He’s carrying this team to wins, like a true franchise quarterback should. Its time for Washington to end this game of tag and give Kirk Cousins what he is worth. They made this bed. And now they must lay in it.