Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Sunday Countdown that the Redskins will use their franchise tag on QB Kirk Cousins again in 2017 if they can’t reach an agreement on a long-term deal.
Last week, Ian Rapoport spoke with a few GMs this week who all expect Cousins to secure over $20 million per year in a long-term extension after the season.
However, Rapoport says that this is likely just the starting point for negotiations between the two teams. Instead, the expectation is that two sides will end up negotiating based on the $23.94 million it would run them to franchise Cousins again next year.
Should Cousins make it free agency, Rapoport mentions the Browns, Bears and Jets as teams who could make a run at signing him.
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 will pay him $19.953 million fully guaranteed for the 2016 season.
In 2016, Cousins has appeared in 11 games and thrown for 3,540 yards while completing 68.4 percent of his passes to go along with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 11 quarterback out of 34 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 30 – 2017 Free Agents list.
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