Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr set the market on his new deal, which sets the stage for even bigger contracts in the future for quarterbacks. Among those who can thank Carr for getting the wheels turning is Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Cousins could earn more than $30 million per season when free agency rolls around in 2018, if the Redskins let him hit the market.
That’s huge.
Cousins is currently on course to earn $23.9 million under his franchise tender in 2017. He and the team have only until July 17 to negotiate a long-term deal. If that doesn’t happen, franchise tag rules dictate that no further negotiations can take place until after the conclusion of the 2017 season.
Provided Cousins keeps pace with his previous two years, he will be one of the most (if not the most) desired free agent quarterbacks on the market. This is obviously where the big money comes in.
Furthermore, it would cost the Redskins nearly a whopping $35 million to tag Cousins for a third consecutive season.
Either way things shake out, Cousins is up for a grand payday next year. The 28-year-old quarterback passed for the third-highest yards (4,917) in the NFL last season. He has also completed an average of 68.4 percent of his passes for 54 touchdowns versus only 23 interceptions the past two years.