Report: Washington, Kirk Cousins unlikely to reach agreement on long-term deal

It’s beginning to look like Kirk Cousins will play out the 2016 season under the franchise tag.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter told ESPN Washington 980’s “Cooley and Kevin” on Wednesday that he believes the two sides will find a deal “too difficult to do.”

“I think there would be teams willing to pay him if he were on the open market today more than Washington feels like it needs to pay him,” Schefter told the show. “I think a team like the Cleveland Browns would’ve given him $20 million a year, maybe more.”

Cousins is guaranteed $19.95 million from the tag. Washington doesn’t seem to feel much incentive to go a whole lot higher than that right now, so the two sides are at something of a stalemate. The deadline to come to a long-term agreement is July 15, so while there is plenty of time for the two sides to come up with an agreement, Cousins didn’t sound that optimistic about it the last time he spoke on the subject.

H/T Rotoworld