The Washington Redskins have a pretty big decision to make this offseason. Are they going to engage in long-term contract talks with Kirk Cousins or is the team intent on placing the franchise tag on him? If neither of these are options, will the Redskins let Cousins test the open market?
For his part, Cousins had previously hinted that he might hold out should the dreaded franchise tag be placed on him for a second consecutive season (more on that here).
It now looks like Cousins, coming off yet another tremendous season, is open to actually playing under the franchise tag designation.
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it, but I would probably do what I did last year,” Cousins told ESPN from the Pro Bowl in Orlando on Thursday. “I will sign it and play with it. I’m not afraid.”
Cousins, 28, earned roughly $20 million this past season while playing under the tag. He’ll earn nearly $25 million in 2017 should the quarterback find himself tagged and decide to sign the tender.
There’s been rampant rumors surrounding Cousins and the San Francisco 49ers, who are set to hire his former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan shortly after the Super Bowl. The Cleveland Browns could also reportedly show interest.
Should Cousins be given the non-exclusive franchise tag, any team could sign him as a free agent while giving the Redskins two first-round picks. There’s also potential trade scenarios in play here.
Though, Cousins’ most-recent comments suggest that he’ll be back with the Redskins in 2017. Of course, that’s dependent on the team actually concluding he’s worth $25 million for one season.