Between the everyday news surrounding the man living in the White House and the day-to-day dealings of its professional football team, is there any place on earth (other than Hollywood) that is full of more drama than Washington D.C.? And what’s been going on with the Washington Redskins as of late may “trump” anything regarding our president. In all seriousness, its been a rough month or so for owner Daniel Snyder and a franchise that hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in 25-plus years. The most recent news was in regard to the firing of general manager Scot McCloughan.
And perhaps the entire story will someday be told. But there are other matters to discuss at the moment.
Signed, sealed. and delivered (for now)
Via the fine staff at Spotrac, Pro Bowl signal-caller Kirk Cousins has indeed signed his $23.94 million tender. It marked the second straight year that the Redskins’ organization had given their quarterback the franchise tag. This time around, it was of the exclusive rights variety. That meant none of the other 31 teams could negotiate with the five-year pro in terms of an offer sheet. In any case, that’s quite the year’s salary for any player.
Now Cousins is once again property of the Washington Redskins because he is under contract. He has publicly stated that he does not want to sign a long-term deal with the club as long as Bruce Allen remains team president.
Whatever issues there are between the executive and the player are a discussion for more qualified and informed people. More importantly, what does this mean when it comes to the quarterback and his future with the team? There are perhaps more options than you would think.
Where does he go from here?
The Washington Redskins won the NFC East with a 9-7 record in 2015 and followed that up with an 8-7-1 mark this past year.
It was the first time since the 1996-97 seasons that the franchise enjoyed back-to-back winning campaigns. Cousins was a big part of that, starting all 32 games over that span. But will he be with the club on opening weekend of 2017? He could stand pat and play out the year and in 2018 test the free-agent market once again.
That is unless the Redskins opt to play some sort of game of tag once again. He could still see a long-term contract if things can be worked out.
Of course, Cousins can now also be traded. And not just to the San Francisco 49ers and his former offensive coordinator/turned head coach Kyle Shanahan. Remember there are other teams on the prowl for a quality quarterback. The Houston Texans come to mind, as do the Cleveland Browns. How about the New York Jets? The point is that just because Cousins signed his tender, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be suiting up in the Burgundy and Gold. As we have learned throughout free agency and its somewhat short history, never say never when it comes to staying put.
