Redskins Franchise Tag Kirk Cousins

The Redskins are placing the exclusive franchise tag on Kirk Cousins, the team announced. He’ll play on a one-year, $23.94MM deal, unless the two sides can agree on a longer deal between now and July.

The exclusive tag means that other clubs cannot negotiate deals with Cousins. Under the non-exclusive variation, teams would have been able to sign Cousins to an offer sheet. An unmatched offer sheet would have resulted in a deal, though it would have meant the forfeiture of two first-round picks to the Redskins. In most cases, teams do not pursue non-exclusive tagged franchise players, but Cousins would have been an exception given the lack of quality available QBs out there.Kirk Cousins (vertical)

Today’s news does not preclude the Redskins from trading Cousins, which has been a rumored possibility for some time now. The 49ers have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for the QB and, depending on who you ask, that may be the only trade he’s willing to help facilitate. The Browns may also show interest in Cousins as they try to figure out their future under center. Cousins does not have a no-trade clause, but he can effectively block any deal by refusing to negotiate a long-term deal with a new team.

In his two years as a starter, Cousins has helped the Redskins to plus-.500 seasons – including a 9-7, NFC East-winning showing in 2015 – while flourishing statistically. Cousins is coming off a year in which he completed 67 percent of passes, nearly reached the 5,000-yard mark (4,917), and tossed 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. This past year, Pro Football Focus rated him as one of the ten best QBs in the NFL.

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