Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins divorce good for all parties

The acquisition of Alex Smith signaled the end of the Kirk Cousins era with the Washington Redskins. It’s the best thing for everyone involved.

Late Tuesday night, Kirk Cousins’ six-year career with the Washington Redskins finally came to an end when it was revealed the Redskins had traded for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. After two franchise tags, numerous proposals rejected by each side, the inevitable divorce between the Redskins and Cousins finally happened.

And this is the perfect outcome for both Cousins and the team.

Look, Washington should’ve wrapped up Cousins in 2015. Former general manager Scot McCloughan tried to re-sign Cousins on the cheap, however, his agent told him not to accept the team’s deal at the time. Instead of letting Cousins hit free agency in 2016, Washington applied the franchise tag on Cousins. Most thought it was a way for the team and player to use the extra time to negotiate a deal that worked for both sides.

It didn’t happen. And that was not the fault of Cousins. His representatives offered the Redskins a three-year deal that would average over $19 million per season, the cost of the first franchise tag, with over $40 million guaranteed — commensurate with two franchise tags. The Redskins decided not to even counter Cousins’ proposal and that was likely when the quarterback was ready to turn the page to the next chapter of his career.

Cousins was drafted in the fourth round the same year Washington gave up multiple assets to acquire Robert Griffin III. After a sensational rookie season, Griffin flamed out and, by his third year — and head coach Jay Gruden’s first season — he lost his job. Cousins and Colt McCoy has surpassed him on the depth chart.

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In year four, Gruden announced it was Cousins’ team moving forward. However, Cousins never felt appreciated by those in charge. He had been on the team when Griffin rode owner Daniel Snyder’s plane back from Dallas in a Thanksgiving Day win back in 2012. Cousins felt multiple slights over the course of his career in Washington. But he always said the right things publicly.

In 2017, the Redskins were ready to commit to Cousins. Washington offered Cousins a deal with $53 million in guaranteed money. Some in the industry felt it wasn’t a fair offer. And considering what Cousins could get on the open market, it wasn’t a fair deal. He was right not to accept this deal. However, Cousins didn’t even offer a counterproposal to Washington. Team president Bruce Allen wasn’t happy and chose to release a statement to the media detailing the team’s offer. It didn’t go over well with Camp Cousins.

There have been so many slights — or perceived slights — in this relationship that it was time to move on. Cousins was never going to trust this team with Allen in charge. And the team was clearly never comfortable paying Cousins at the top of the quarterback market. Neither side was wrong. Cousins isn’t a franchise passer. He has many flaws. He is good, though. And in this league, good costs you lots of money. There are not 32 competent signal-callers in the NFL and it’s why Cousins was always going to get a huge deal if he hit unrestricted free agency.

Perhaps Cousins was too sensitive. He didn’t appear to agree with some of Gruden’s criticisms once the 2017 season ended. Gruden, brutally honest, critiqued the play of his quarterback and said he played well in flashes but was not consistent enough. He was right. Cousins was dreadful in a meaningless Week 17 loss against the hapless New York Giants. There were several of those clunkers during Cousins’ time in Washington. He was just 1-6 against the Dallas Cowboys as the starting quarterback. The only win came against a team quarterbacked by Kellen Moore.

Now, the team can move forward without continually having this situation looming. Players don’t have to be asked if Cousins deserves a long-term deal or if they want him back. It’s over. There will no more bickering between fans about wanting to keep Cousins or let him walk. It’s over. Mercifully.

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Unfortunately for Smith, he’ll likely have every throw criticized — or praised — much like fans did with Cousins. It’s how things work with the Washington Redskins. The team is always chasing a quarterback, while the fans always think the last quarterback or the next quarterback is better than the current one under center.

Cousins can now pick his destination. He will have plenty of suitors. But he better be ready for criticism like he’s never faced before. Sure, he faced it with the Redskins, but the expectations were lower. When he signs his new contract, he is immediately signing up for huge expectations in his new city. Fans and players alike are going to expect Aaron Rodgers-type production and when it doesn’t come, he’ll draw the ire an entire fan base.

The Denver Broncos are already courting Cousins and not discreetly. Star linebacker Von Miller thinks Cousins is the missing piece.

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Meanwhile, the Redskins liked Cousins. He was popular with the coaches and his teammates. He’ll be missed. The constant talk of his contract situation will not be missed. It was time to turn the page and one could argue it should have happened one year ago. Better late than never.