Washington Redskins deadline to tag Kirk Cousins passes without incident

There was a collective sigh of relief at 4:00 PM today, when the Washington Redskins opted not to franchise tag quarterback Kirk Cousins before the deadline.

Although there was speculation surrounding the possibility that the Washington Redskins were indeed weighing their options pertaining to Kirk Cousins, the 4:00 PM deadline passed today, and there was no tag to speak of.

This move, or lack thereof, is an uncharacteristically smart decision from the front office. They may have started this debacle by single-handedly inflating Cousins’ value and his leverage, but they ended it the right way. They walked away from it all. Now, Alex Smith can focus on football when he arrives, and Kirk Cousins can focus on finding his next home. One that will ultimately pay him well.

This juncture puts an end to a rather tumultuous saga of D.C. sports history, one that saw a backup become a starter, and take his team to the playoffs in 2015, when the odds were mounting against the Washington Redskins.

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The team would ultimately lose in the first round to the Green Bay Packers, but Kirk Cousins helped bring the team back to contention, where they would remain for the next two seasons. They never won anything meaningful under Cousins, as injuries and defensive woes would continue to plague the team. But Cousins put up a respectable fight, throwing for over 13,000 yards, 99 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions in his time with the team.

There were good times, albeit brief. But nonetheless, a breakup has always been best for the Washington Redskins and their non-committal franchise quarterback. Kirk Cousins obviously felt slighted since he was lowballed by Bruce Allen in 2016. That animosity only festered in 2017, when the long-term passed with no contract, and plenty of vocalized ‘Kurts’ from the team president himself, in a carefully-written statement that antagonized Kirk Cousins for his unwillingness to negotiate.

Perhaps Allen wasn’t wrong back then. Perhaps Cousins was the reason a deal never got done. But that is behind us now, and Washington Redskins fans couldn’t be happier. The Washington Redskins have a new quarterback; someone who truly wants to be here. And Kirk Cousins has the market at his mercy. Will he be humbled in the next step of his journey? And will the Washington Redskins find success, now that they’ve found stability at the most important position in football?

Time will relinquish the answers to us. For now, all that’s left to do is wait for Alex Smith’s contract to become official on March 14. And to wish Kirk Cousins luck wherever he goes next.

Next: 5 prospects the Redskins should draft after the NFL Combine

Except when he’s playing the Washington Redskins.

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