With the deadline come and gone, no deal was signed between Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins. Shortly after the deadline, team president Bruce Allen released a statement, detailing the history of the negotiations.
Full statement from Bruce Allen. He didn't take any questions. pic.twitter.com/CBzfvQcroH
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 17, 2017
Technically, Allen is incorrect. Eli Manning’s contract guaranteed him $54 million, eclipsing what the Redskins were offering Cousins. But the $53 million reportedly being offered would have been significantly more than either Andrew Luck or Joe Flacco were guaranteed.
So, what gives?
Well perhaps this sheds a bit of light into what Cousins and his representation were thinking about.
Which means WAS offer was $29M more guaranteed money than the guy already had in hand. Not even close to market value.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 17, 2017
Important context in WAS release of Cousins offer. Team wanted him to sign for 5 years in exchange for $29M. https://t.co/4mngyFTXEC
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) July 17, 2017
Previous reports have indicated that at least some in Washington’s front office aren’t sold on Cousins. In addition to this, Cousins has been said to be less than enthused with the Redskins front office.
The money that Allen is talking about appears to be huge. But appearances can be deceiving and are certainly so in this case.
None of this bodes well for Cousins’ future in Washington. Allen may “remain hopeful” about a long-term deal, but that certainly doesn’t appear to be the case from where we’re standing.