How the Redskins got here: The Kirk Cousins revenge game

Cousins’ final season and contract with the Vikings

In his final season as the starter in Washington, the Redskins once again failed to live up to expectations. The offense simply wasn’t quite as good without Sean McVay as the offensive coordinator and the defense continued to be a massive issue under then-new defensive coordinator, Greg Manusky. The Redskins finished 7-9 in 2017.

Cousins still performed as had had in years past, putting up nearly 5,000 passing yards but playing inconsistently. Sometimes, he looked like a top-five NFL quarterback. Other times, he looked like a serviceable-at-best starter. But the bigger storyline was that it didn’t appear that he was going to stay in Washington.

By the time the 2017 season rolled around, it seemed like Cousins already had a foot out the door. He was tired of the offers the Redskins front office had given him and knew that if he hit the open market, he could get a terrific deal. The Redskins still could have used the franchise tag on him, but it would have cost them an excess of $30 million. So, it was unlikely they would attempt to do that.

Washington Commanders

One possibility that was floated was trading Cousins. But the team never seemed serious about making this type of move, as they still felt Cousins could lead them to the playoffs.

At the end of the day, Cousins hit free agency. And once he did, he was gone. He saw a handful of suitors, but he ended up signing with the Minnesota Vikings on a three-year deal worth a record $84 million in guarantees. He also had a $90 million offer from the New York Jets.

It was an unceremonious end to Cousins’ time in Washington, but it was a welcome change for both sides. At the time, there were questions about whether or not the Redskins could actually win in the playoffs with Cousins. And since Cousins didn’t want to be there, it made sense for the squad to let him go. It was more about the manner in which they did so that some were upset by (some wanted the team to trade him to recoup more than a third-round compensatory pick, but that never materialized).

As for Cousins, he got what he wanted. He left the Redskins. He got his massive deal. And he got to join a team that was on the cusp of a Super Bowl title.