If Kirk Cousins isn’t a member of the Washington Redskins in 2017 or 2018, the franchise thinks it has a short-term solution in Colt McCoy.
According to a report, McCoy is a player Washington believes it can count on to win games.
“…the Redskins do believe they can win in the short term with McCoy, and there’s a feeling that it’d be better to just resolve the Cousins situation now—whether it’s giving him a new deal or trading him—and not setting up to be in this position again in spring 2018,” wrote Albert Breer of The MMQB.
Of course, Washington would likely rather not have to rely on McCoy. Cousins has been a tremendous player for the franchise since taking over as the full-time starter in 2015, starting all 32 games while passing for over 9,000 yards with 54 touchdowns and just 23 interceptions.
However, there is a sense that Cousins could be angling for the Redskins to trade him this year or let him hit free agency after 2017. One rumor that just won’t die is that he wants to be reunited with former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who’s now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers (more on that here).
There are so many moving parts to the rumors surrounding Cousins, including a potential three-way trade involving Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys — something Jerry Jones vehemently denied as a possibility.
Whatever happens, it seems Washington feels secure in its backup situation with McCoy. He’s a career 60 percent passer who has thrown 26 touchdowns and 23 interceptions while posting a record of 7-18 starting games for the Cleveland Browns and Washington.