Rumors have been swirling about Kirk Cousins possibly leaving Washington this offseason, but everything the team is saying indicates that is not going to happen.
In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this week, Washington president Bruce Allen was asked if he would put Cousins’ chances of remaining with the team at a 10 on a scale from 1 to 10.
“Yeah. Kirk is our quarterback,” Allen said, via John Keim of ESPN.com. “He’s played well the last two years. I know there’s other speculation, but it doesn’t come from the Redskins.”
Allen’s comments came not long after Washington head coach Jay Gruden said he expects to have Cousins back in 2017.
Cousins is set to become a free agent, which means Washington can either franchise tag him, sign him to a long-term extension or let him test free agency. If the team chooses to go the franchise tag route, they can either use the exclusive or non-exclusive tag. An exclusive tag would mean only they can sign Cousins, whereas the non-exclusive tag would give the quarterback a chance to receive offers from other teams. Washington would either be able to match those offers or let Cousins leave and receive two draft picks as compensation.
Cousins threw for nearly 5,000 yards this season with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He had a stretch in the middle of the season where he played as well if not better than any of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. While we have heard reports about at least one team being interested in him, it would be a surprise if Washington lets Cousins go elsewhere.
