Pending free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins isn’t planning to ink an extension with the Redskins before the franchise tag deadline on March 1, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
[RELATED: 2017 Franchise Tag Candidates]
Because Cousins signed the franchise tender last season, he’d be due a 120% raise if tagged again this offseason, meaning he’d be entitled to a one-year, fully guaranteed salary of $23.94MM. As such, Cousins’ financial calculation is a simple one: not only would accepting the tag force Washington to work off that nearly $24MM total in negotiations, but Cousins can point to exact numbers in terms of guaranteed money on a long-term deal.
As Florio writes, a tag in 2017 plus another 120% raise in 2018 would equal more than $52MM in guarantees over the next two seasons, and Cousins would be unlikely to accept any figure that comes in south of that total on an extension. Plus, Cousins will probably sign the franchise tender immediately (as he did in 2016), thus backing the Redskins into a position where Cousins has nothing to lose.
Washington reportedly wants to reach a long-term deal with Cousins, but as of earlier this month, the two parties hadn’t made much progress towards an extension. At one point, Redskins management may have considered letting Cousins gauge his value on the open market, but that won’t happen now that Cousins backers Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are now in head coaching positions.
That much possible $$$ for him is incredibly ridiculous. In fact, that much for any player is disgustingly ridiculous.
Why would he take anything less than the open market is willing to pay? You would do the exact same thing.
Not his fault that the team is incompetent and didn’t sign him to a contract. Until he becomes a UFA, he holds all the leverage in contract talks with the Redskins.
Tired hearing about Cousins and his contract. He’s a fringe top 10 qb trying to get A Rod and Luck money. Not worth it, but he knows the value he brings to his team with no other options.
Time to trade him. The number has gone nuts. His stats are impressive but I done see him ever winning a big playoff game. He doesn’t have that killer instinct.
Looks like he has “killer instinct” at the negotiation table.
You can’t trade him unless you franchise him and even then your options are limited
If a 120% raise is 23.94 million, what is a 20% raise?
2.28M
I believe they meant 20% raise or 120% of last year’s value… a 20% raise is 3.99 M. My math above was faulty based on their numbers.
It is clear that the GM and the owner dislike Cousins, thus he should use all the leverage he has to either get the big bucks or get traded to a team that wants him.