The $19.95 million Cousins is guaranteed this season is a hefty increase from the $660,00 he made past year as he led the team to a 9-7 record and the playoffs after being named the starter following the preseason.
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Fox Sports’ Cameron DaSilva was so impressed by what Cousins did last season, that he placed him in his list of “The five most underrated quarterbacks in the National Football League”. Drew Brees played under the tag in 2005 with the San Diego Chargers.
The sides now must wait until after the season to reach a deal.
The Redskins could use the franchise tag on Cousins again next season, though it would be approximately $24 million to do so a second time and the quarterback doesn’t have to sign it.
Cousins enjoyed a breakout season in 2015 and led Washington to its second NFC East title since 1999.
The 27-year-old started all 16 regular-season games for the Redskins last season, throwing for 4,166 yards and 29 touchdowns with 11 interceptions last season. People familiar with the situation said the team’s offer and McCartney’s asking price differed by a significant amount.
As Cousins said in May, “Nothing’s promised, but whether it’s a one-year deal or a 10-year deal, you’ve got to go out and prove it every game, every year, so I feel very stabilized in my role and just excited to take advantage of every opportunity, and it is a phenomenal opportunity”. Play well, get paid.
Washington has a slightly tougher schedule this season than last (Cousins and Washington feasted on losing teams past year to make the playoffs), so Cousins’ gamble could pay off and may be in for a bigger payday next season. Cousins play led Washington to a 9-7 record and an NFC East division championship.
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There wasn’t any expectation that quarterback Kirk Cousins was going to sign a long-term deal before Friday’s deadline for players with franchise tags to do so and the deadline has indeed passed without a new deal. Confident that he will improve on last season’s performance, people in Cousins’ camp believed he was worth more, and so they accepted the franchise tag tender. While it would mean committing to Cousins for a few years, it would have allowed the team to spread out the cap hit and avoid a almost $20 million commitment in 2016. If that situation does in fact play out and Cousins accepts the tag for a second season, he would be in line to earn almost $44 million guaranteed over two seasons.
