The Washington Redskins are set to enter another offseason with questions surrounding the status of quarterback Kirk Cousins’ contract.
When Kirk Cousins was named starting quarterback in the summer of 2015, it was the first time in his NFL career he was the unquestioned starting quarterback. Cousins went on to help the Washington Redskins win the NFC East while setting numerous franchise records at quarterback. Yet, that offseason, the Redskins decided against giving Cousins a long-term deal and decided to see if he could repeat his performance in 2016, despite Cousins and his agent offered Washington a team-friendly three-year deal at the time.
Cousins went on to break most of the records he set the previous year in 2016. Washington and team president Bruce Allen finally decided Cousins was the team’s franchise quarterback and offered him a long-term deal. Only this time, Cousins made the Redskins wait and chose to play the season on a second consecutive franchise tag.
Now, here we are again. The Redskins have four games left in the 2017 season and another long offseason of questions begin. Will the team franchise Cousins for a third consecutive year at the prohibitive cost of $34 million? Or, will the team slap the transition tag on Cousins allowing them to match any deal, but also risk losing him for no compensation? If Washington applies to the transition tag to Cousins, he will count $28 million against the cap in 2018.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
One way or another, it’s time for Washington’s front office to make a permanent decision. Which means the franchise tag should not be in play. According to overthecap.com, the Redskins have $56 million in cap space for 2018, but with numerous key free agents on both sides of the ball, franchising Cousins again could be a disaster that could set the team back for years.
Why franchise a quarterback who may not even want to be on the team? This team isn’t one or two moves away from a Super Bowl. Sure, it appears the Redskins are heading in the right direction under Jay Gruden, but they’re still several players away from contending for a championship. Why rent Cousins one more year?
All season long, owner Daniel Snyder and Allen should’ve been taking every opportunity imaginable to let Cousins know how much they wanted him back. Instead, Allen continues to maintain his stubborn approach to Cousins. Snyder, meanwhile, continues to sit back and allow Allen to make a mess of every situation involving the franchise from the handling of former general manager Scot McCloughan’s firing, to Cousins’ contract situation to the handling of the color rush uniforms.
Here's what I know about Thursday's color rush, from multiple sources, NFL wants #Redskins to wear them. Members of #Redskins front office do not.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) November 28, 2017
The clearest path to resolution for this franchise is applying the transition tag to Cousins. If the team feels it’s too cost-prohibitive, then they can finally move on. Or, if a team offers Cousins a deal, the Redskins have the opportunity to match. Either way, there’s finally an end in sight to this dance.
Next: 2018 NFL Free Agency: Early predictions for top 15 players
Washington has bungled this situation from the start and likely regrets not getting a deal before now. Cousins is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL and will be paid like it. While the Redskins and a portion of their fans may not value him, plenty of others see the value in Cousins and at some point in the near future, his contract will reflect that belief.