Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Redskins have seven days to knock out a longterm deal for beyond the 2017 season. If they do not come to an agreement by 4 pm on Monday, July 17, Cousins will officially be franchise tagged for next season only, and there is a strong possibility that the quarterback will become an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
This is a likely scenario according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who reported Monday that Cousins and the Redskins have “made little to no progress” on negotiations, and that many people around the league are calling it a “long shot that the team and player will agree to a multiyear deal” anytime soon.
This news would appear to increase the possibility that Cousins could become the 49ers’ quarterback of the future, and be reunited with Kyle Shanahan who was his offensive coordinator in Washington in 2012 and 2013. According to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, Shanahan and Cousins are represented by the same agency, Priority Sports.
Another of Shanahan’s former players, wide reciever Pierre Garcon, has already rejoined him in San Francisco, and expressed curiosity on Sirius XM Radio Monday as to why the Redskins are dragging their feet on re-signing the quarterback to a long term deal. Garcon played with Cousins during his entire stint in Washington from 2012-2016.
.@PierreGarcon: I don’t know why @KirkCousins8 didn’t get the long-term deal yet. He made plays for us & helped us make those playoff runs. pic.twitter.com/xvyWoY7Y5Y
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 10, 2017
After his introductory press conference, Garcon also touched on the oft-criticized Washington organization, saying that he didn’t want to leave, but also admitting there were distractions.
“The city was good,” Garcon told KNBR. The fans were good. I had no problems with the front office or nobody there. I didn’t want to move on, but I’m happy I did. It was just other distractions, always headlines instead of football.”
It is believed the the 49ers would target Cousins as a top priority were he to hit the open market. San Francisco signed Brian Hoyer as a short-term stopgap for next season until the team can land a franchise quarterback via free agency or the draft. Shanahan was hired by the 49ers for six-years and $36 million, in large part for his ability to identify and develop the quarterback position.
If they don’t come to an agreement, the Redskins could re-sign Cousins to the franchise tag for the third year in a row in 2018, but that would cost Washington $34 million for just next year. Cousins is apparently unhappy with how the Redskins have valued him over the past few seasons, when they elected not to give him a long term deal last offseason, despite a breakout campaign where he threw for over 4,000 yards and posted a QB rating of 101.6.
On the open market Cousins would likely command a $100 plus multi-year deal. For comparison, Derek Carr was just re-signed by the Raiders for an NFL record five-year, $125 million dollar deal last month. There have been reports that while Redskins owner Dan Snyder is not crazy about committing all of that money to Cousins, but would rather do so than open up the possibility of Cousins and Shanahan having success together in San Francisco, after the Redskins owner fired both Kyle and Mike Shanahan after the 2013 season.
I hear Dan Snyder would rather make Kirk Cousins the highest paid QB in the NFL than lose him to Kyle Shanahan https://t.co/0bMQjr3Nle
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) July 3, 2017
I was told Snyder fears Redskins fans would forever turn their backs on him if Kyle/Kirk have sustained success.together in SF https://t.co/O6yDr2Vgib
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) July 3, 2017
Come next Monday, we will have a much better idea what the future may hold for the 49ers’ quarterback position.
