- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Kirk Cousins Has Earned Redskins’ Money Despite Missing the Playoffs
- Updated: January 2, 2017
I get it, Washington Redskins fans. You feel the need to blame somebody, and in this day and age the quarterback is usually that guy. He’s either the hero or the patsy, with no middle ground.
But Kirk Cousins shouldn’t be a hero or a patsy. He’s just a pretty good quarterback on a pretty good team that would be a heck of a lot worse without him.
Right now, you might not want to imagine the Redskins giving Cousins a huge new contract in the weeks or months to come. You might not even want to think about the possibility of general manager Scot McCloughan slapping Cousins with the franchise tag, which wouldn’t handcuff the two parties long-term but would cost the Redskins about $24 million in 2017 alone.
You’re allowed to be mad at Cousins for the fact he led the offense to just 10 points in a season-ending Week 17 loss to the New York Giants, capping it off with a silly first-down interception. And you’re allowed to be frustrated with the team for losing four of its last six games in order to miss the playoffs by a half-game margin.
Share Tweet
Yet the reality is Cousins is clearly the best quarterback option the Redskins have entering the 2017 offseason, so the front office would be crazy to let him go.
While this loss and the final month of the season will rightly leave a bad taste in many mouths, it’s important to remember that Cousins is only completing his second full season as a starter. By all indications, he’s yet to reach his potential.
And that’s pretty promising when you consider that the man entered Week 17 ranked in the top five in terms of completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the season with 39 completions on passes that traveled 20-plus yards, which ranked tied …
