NFL Rumors: 49ers-Redskins Kirk Cousins Trade Talk Including Cowboys, Tony Romo?

The Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers reportedly could involve the Dallas Cowboys in a possible Kirk Cousins trade.

Kirk Cousins was hit with the exclusive franchise tag before the deadline by the Washington Redskins. Even still, that doesn’t make anything certain. Though no team can negotiate with the quarterback, the possibility of a trade has always been in play. What’s more, the quarterback-less San Francisco 49ers have been rumored for quite some time to be willing to discuss a deal that would land them the former Michigan State Spartan.

However, the curious part of that has always been this: If the 49ers were to trade for Cousins, what then would the Redskins do at quarterback for the 2017 season—much less for the future? We may now have an answer and, frankly, it comes as quite the surprise.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapaport reported on Friday that there’s the potential that the Redskins and 49ers would involve a third team in Kirk Cousins trade talks as they are about to kick into high gear in the coming days/weeks. That team, shockingly enough, is Washington’s biggest division rival, the Dallas Cowboys. And yes, their involvement would include Tony Romo:

As Rapaport states, a deal of this nature would be something that we’ve never seen in the NFL before. In the scenario that he paints, however, it’s a three-way trade that makes sense for all parties involved.

It’s clear that the 49ers and their new head coach (and former Redskins coordinator), Kyle Shanahan, covet the services of Cousins. So in such a trade, they would get the guy they believe to be a franchise quarterback and a huge building block for their future. Meanwhile, the Redskins would be getting a quality replacement option, albeit one with far less long-term potential.

That leaves us with the Cowboys and getting draft picks. This would truly be the ideal scenario for them. Because of Romo’s massive cap hit for the 2017 season, it’s been surmised that the Cowboys would likely have to release him. Instead, they would shed all of that salary while also getting draft capital in return.

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Again, it’s important to note that this is a rumor about potential trade talks that presumably haven’t yet started. However, that it’s even producing pre-talk chatter coupled with the fact that it makes sense for all three teams that would be involved makes it seem as if there could be something to this. At the very least, it’s a viable possibility that’s worth keeping an eye on.