The Washington Redskins have taken Kirk Cousins off the market by using the exclusive franchise tag, which prevents other teams from negotiating with the quarterback.
https://twitter.com/MikeMcCartney7/status/836643050529112068
Tag! I'm it!
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) February 28, 2017
This means Cousins will earn $24 million this year, barring a long-term deal between himself and the franchise. That seems unlikely, given the way the two sides have both made it clear that another one-year deal is what they desire.
Using the tag on Cousins doesn’t guarantee he will be playing in Washington in 2017, however. There remains the possibility that Washington could trade Cousins, though reportedly there’s only one team he would be willing to be traded to — the San Francisco 49ers.
The past two seasons, starting in all 32 games for Washington, Cousins has passed for 9,083 yards, completing over 68 percent of his passes with 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.