The Washington Redskins used the franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins in part because they feared that the Philadelphia Eagles would make a play for him if they didn’t, according to a report.
According Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Washington opted for the franchise tag amid interest from the Eagles, who would have ignored Sam Bradford and made a play for Cousins instead. Had Cousins been hit with the transition tag, the Eagles may have put together a frontloaded offer sheet to put Washington, whose cap situation is tight, into a tough spot.
The Eagles would almost certainly not have been the only suitor had Cousins hit the open market, but it’s an interesting scenario all the same.
The reasoning makes sense. Philadelphia could have gotten a younger quarterback and weakened a division rival in the process. In the end, it appears that Washington made the smart decision by tagging Cousins. The Eagles ended up re-signing Bradford just a few days after that decision came about.
