This is one entry in a six-part series about where Kirk Cousins will land as a free agent for the 2018 season.
By the time Kirk Cousins gets to Arizona, the Redskins will be mourning the loss of their most stable quarterback situation since Joe Theismann in the mid-80’s. But don’t blame Cousins for leaving.
He’s done nothing but the right thing since being drafted in the fourth round in 2012. He learned the system and competed without complaining, sitting behind the face of the franchise, Robert Griffin III. Since being named the starter in 2015, he’s responded with back-to-back-to-back 4,000 yard seasons. The previous 4,000-yard passing seasons in team history? There have been only two — Jay Schroeder in 1986 and Brad Johnson in 1999.
By the time Cousins gets to Glendale, the Cardinals will be building with a new coach, one that will be 100 percent behind getting a quality quarterback to throw to future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald. Even with all of the quarterback issues and coaching uncertainty Arizona had this fall, the Cardinals still went 8-8. Cousins would join a team that actually plays defense (ranked sixth in the league in 2017) and was only a competent and healthy quarterback away from competing for a playoff berth. Arizona’s been to the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner and played in an NFC Championship game with Carson Palmer. These Cardinals have won five playoff games over the last 10 years. The Redskins have appeared in a total of five postseason games since the 2000 season started.
By the time Cousins gets to Tempe, the Redskins will be waking up to the fact that the quarterback situation around the league isn’t necessarily feast-or-famine, it’s surviving-or-starving. Is Cousins a once-in-a-generation Andrew Luck or Aaron Rodgers? No. Not even close. But he’s worlds better than Brock Osweiller and solar systems better than Blaine Gabbert. Over the last three years, Cousins has the sixth-highest passer rating in the NFL. He’s proven to be more than a stop-gap measure in D.C., but for some reason has not merited long term foundation money.
By the time Cousins gets to University of Phoenix Stadium, he’ll join an organization that will be building around and with him as opposed to building in spite of him. After the nonsense he’s had to deal with here, it’ll be nice to see Cousins find a better place.
The case for the…
Cleveland Browns | Denver Broncos
Jacksonville Jaguars | New York Jets | Washington Redskins
