Washington Redskins: The impossible rise of Kirk Cousins

The Rise Continues

For or against him, you cannot deny the legacy.

Kirk Cousins has brought life to a franchise without hope. His impossible rise brought the Washington Redskins back to relevance, and yet, they still don’t trust Cousins to lead them higher.

The Washington Redskins had a chance to sign Cousins longterm in 2015. No such deal materialized. They failed again in 2016, after Cousins threw for almost 5,000 yards. And now, over 13,000 yards and 100 total touchdowns later, the odds are mounting for another round of befuddled negotiations. Three in a row.

Strikeout.

Perhaps Cousins could have made it as a pitcher after all.

By now, talks have migrated far past mere matters of ability. The money speaks louder than anything else, and ousting Cousins in favor of more financial flexibility is a perfectly rational thought.

But by losing Cousins, the Washington Redskins lose a player whose value could only continue to rise. He’s in his prime, and in many circles, he is a top ten quarterback in the NFL. Performance wise, you lose a proven player in the NFL. A valuable commodity in its own right.

But what else do you lose? A person of the utmost discipline? A voyager on a one-way quest for greatness? A zealous follower of all the winning customs, and only the winning customs. Determined to win, and destined to win?

Or a fraud?

When they said he couldn’t do it, he did it anyway. Time and time again. Ever the underdog. And when the opportunity arises to follow his discipline further, and step closer to the ultimate goal of forever glory, Cousins will take that opportunity. Here, or somewhere else.

As for the ultimate question, whether Cousins is good enough to win and ascend atop the pantheon of league quarterbacks, only time will weather the rocks on Lake Michigan’s shores. Time, the ruthless agent of change, unrelenting in its pursuit of truth, will expose Cousins, and whatever he dares to become.

Time has done the same for those who came before him. And now, in 2018, many appear to be on their way out the door. Carson Palmer has retired. Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers are drifting closer to the twilight of their careers. Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, and Eli Manning will all soon be lost to age. And even Tom Brady, the subject of a constant debate defining immortality, will submit to time. Soon, Cousins will be where they stood. In the front of the pack.

But speculation on Cousins’ future is for another time. Another place. For now, know his story. Know his mentality. And know that Kirk Cousins braved the impossible rise.

Next: The confounding tenure of Redskins president Bruce Allen

An impossible rise that isn’t over yet.