Fansided

Redskins put franchise tag on Kirk Cousins

By Jason Parker

Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws the ball against the New Orleans Saints at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws the ball against the New Orleans Saints at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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After leading the Washington Redskins to the NFC East title in 2015, Kirk Cousins is staying put.

In the summer, Kirk Cousins was preparing for his fourth year in the NFL and was likely heading for another year warming the bench for the Washington Redskins. Fast forward one season and Cousins ended the year as the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future after leading the team to a divisional championship and its first playoff appearance since 2012.

Now the Redskins, according to multiple reports, are placing the franchise tag on their starting signal-caller and keeping him off the free-agent market for another year:

The nearly $20 million Cousins will make for the 2016 season is just a little bit more than what he made in 2015. Considering Cousins was a career backup until recently, it’s an incredible haul.

Cousins’ salary for 2016 would be the highest base contract number for any starting quarterback in the league. In 2015, Cousins threw for over 4,100 yards while passing for 29 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. Washington will have to move money around to get him some help, with less than $20 million in cap space even after the eventual release of Robert Griffin III.

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