The Washington Redskins may use their franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins, but he wouldn’t be having it if they did.
According to Kimberley A. Martin of the Washington Post, sources close to Cousins have made it known that he’ll file a grievance against the team through the NFLPA if the team takes action.
Many in the league see a potential tagging of Cousins as a petty move by Washington, as the team would have no intention of keeping him. Cousins would likely cite the team’s refusal to engage in good-faith negotiations as a violation of the CBA if it came to that.
There has been real talk that Washington may try to keep control of Cousins to trade him. It’s hard to see the upside of such a move, as 31 other teams would be aware that they have no intention of keeping him, but someone may prove desperate enough to make a deal. Of course, it would create a potential PR and business nightmare for the team, who would probably be better off just letting him hit free agency at this point.
