Kirk Cousins finally will get paid. Just not by the Washington Redskins.
Washington appeared to move on from Cousins on Tuesday night by agreeing to trade for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith — then immediately giving Smith a four-year contract extension, according to reports.
Cousins is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and it’s all but guaranteed he’ll sign elsewhere. He’ll have plenty of suitors, but four teams stand out, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Kirk Cousins, the only QB ever to receive the franchise tag twice, now will leave Washington. Teams expected to be in QB market include Buffalo, Cleveland, Denver, NY Jets, amongst others.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2018
The Denver Broncos are “poised to make a run” at Cousins, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, so they could be at the top of that list. Rapoport also cited the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills as suitors.
NFL Media’s Chris Wesseling noted the Arizona Cardinals could pursue Cousins following Carson Palmer’s retirement, as well, although they’ve yet to be tied to him in any reports.
Those four teams all have needs at quarterback, so there’s no surprise here. The Cleveland Browns long have been in pursuit of a franchise QB and actually were one of the six teams who tried to land Smith, per Schefter. It’s unclear whether Cousins would want to join such a moribund franchise, though, and a team like the Broncos, who still boast an elite defense, could be a much more attractive destination.
What is clear is that Cousins will be paid handsomely once he officially becomes an unrestricted free agent March 14. The 29-year-old has thrown for at least 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in three straight seasons and will be the top free agent QB on the market outside Drew Brees (who doesn’t plan on testing the market).
