Redskins sign backup quarterback Colt McCoy to one-year extension
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins got out safely from the Kirk Cousins conundrum. Today, their quarterback situation got a little bit safer yet.
The Washington Redskins revamped their quarterback room this offseason, trading for former Kansas City Chief Alex Smith in January and striking a deal for Browns quarterback Kevin Hogan closer to the 2018 NFL Draft.
The move for Smith came in the midst of a transition from Kirk Cousins, whose consecutive franchise tags left him in limbo with the franchise, from a financial standpoint. After acquiring Smith, the Redskins added Hogan as a younger quarterback, leaving Colt McCoy as the only returning signal caller on the roster.
That continuity must hold value in the eyes of the Redskins. Up to $7 million, in fact.
The #Redskins and QB Colt McCoy have agreed to terms on a 1-year extension worth up to $7M, source said. It contains a void & buyback provision. Interesting.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2018
McCoy was set to become a free agent after this season. Now, he’ll be under contract for the 2019 season as well. McCoy has been the Redskins’ backup quarterback ever since Kirk Cousins took hold of the starting job, and while he hasn’t often found the field, he’s been proficient in limited action. He’s widely-regarded as one of the better, more experienced backup quarterbacks in the league, and with this deal, the Redskins clearly agree with that notion.
The $7 million figure disclosed in the announcement is not guaranteed; how much McCoy will actually make is predicated on incentives. With McCoy as the backup quarterback, and considering Alex Smith’s track record of good health (knock on wood), McCoy’s true salary won’t climb to the max value.
With the extension of McCoy, it’s safe to say that the former Texas Longhorn is firmly entrenched as the Redskins’ No. 2 quarterback, and that Kevin Hogan’s roster spot will only become more expendable if Hogan fails to impress the coaching staff.
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With solid play in training camp, Hogan can win the favor of the coaches. But now we know he won’t be winning McCoy’s job. The Redskins are confident in McCoy as their backup quarterback. And as the Eagles’ Super Bowl run taught us last year, security at quarterback doesn’t have a price tag.