The Kirk Cousins saga has heated up in recent days with the deadline for teams to extend franchise tag players approaching. Most were skeptical of a deal being done by the deadline, which passed at 1 p.m. PST on Monday without the Redskins inking their quarterback to a long-term deal. Now, Cousins is primed to hit the free agent market next offseason.
Franchise deadline comes and goes without new deal for Kirk Cousins, who now becomes 1st QB to play 2 straight seasons under franchise tag.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 17, 2017
Reports came out yesterday that Cousins would still be open to considering an offer on a multiyear contract from Washington next offseason, but it’s also widely expected that Cousins and Kyle Shanahan are destined to join forces with the 49ers in 2018.
Shortly after the extension deadline passed, Redskins president Bruce Allen released a statement regarding Cousins and their negotiations. According to Allen, the team made Cousins a huge offer in May that was declined, and no counter was made by the quarterback or his agent.
Full statement from Bruce Allen. He didn't take any questions. pic.twitter.com/CBzfvQcroH
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 17, 2017
Cousins will play the 2017 season on the franchise tag for the second year in a row, and will make $23.9 million. Next offseason he would receive at least a $10 million raise if Washington wanted to tag him again. It would be ill-advised to make Cousins a $35-million quarterback, so it’s fairly obvious that there will be a conclusion on his future one way or another in the spring of 2018.
Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Washington during Cousins’ first two seasons in the league, and it’s been reported that they have a strong connection. KNBR.com’s Kevin Jones joined Murph & Mac on Monday morning and said Cousins’ desire to play for his former coach, in addition to Washington’s front office dysfunction, will be key in swaying Cousins to San Francisco.
“Niners fans should be monitoring this because Kirk Cousins wants to play for Kyle Shanahan, and I have someone telling me that, I think that’s kind of an open secret,” Jones said. “He is in control of his destiny here, why would he marry himself to a dysfunctional organization like the Redskins? They fired their GM in the middle of the NFL Draft, they can’t come to an agreement upstairs. Some people want to keep him, some people don’t want to keep Cousins. He’s not going to sign anything long-term now. They have possibly a chance, the Redskins do, of keeping him at the end of the season, but I really don’t think so.”
The 28-year-old Cousins has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in each of the last two seasons and tossed 54 touchdowns combined in the past two years. After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Cousins sat behind fellow 2012 draftee Robert Griffin III before becoming the full time starter in 2015.
The full interview with Jones is available below. To listen to his comments on Cousins’ future, skip to the 1:30 mark.