Redskins president Bruce Allen told reporters on Monday that contract talks with franchise QB Kirk Cousins are “ongoing” but the July 15 deadline will be a “driving point” in regards to a potential deal.
“It’s ongoing,” Allen said, via Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. “There’s been constant dialogue, I don’t want to say it’s been every day. I really believe July 15, the league deadline, is really going to be the driving point to it. It’s ongoing.”
There hasn’t been much buzz about a new contract for Cousins in several months. The parties have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal or Cousins will play out the 2017 season under the franchise tag before testing the open market in 2018.
If the Redskins don’t sign him to a long-term deal this summer, the odds of him walking in free agency increase dramatically, as tagging him for a third time would cost the Redskins over $30 million guaranteed.
During the draft, a report surfaced that the Browns were interested in trading for him, but that was shot down soon after.
Cousins, 28, is a former fourth-round pick of the Redskins back in 2012. He played out the final year of his four-year, $2,572,688 rookie contract that included a $472,688 signing bonus when Washington elected to use the franchise tag on Cousins that paid him $19.953 million fully guaranteed for the 2016 season.
The Redskins franchised him for the second year in a row this past February and he’s now set to make $23.94 million fully guaranteed for the 2017 season.
In 2016, Cousins has appeared in all 16 games and thrown for 4,917 yards while completing 67 percent of his passes to go along with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 8 quarterback out of 36 qualifying players.
We’ll have more regarding a new deal for Cousins as the news is available.
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