Kirk Cousins rumors: Redskins would tag him again in 2018

Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins seem to only have one season left together, but not so fast…

Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins can put any doubt about his future to bed with a long-term deal before July 15, but it doesn’t seem likely at this point. Using the franchise tag on him again in 2018, for a third time, also seems highly unlikely. But JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic has not dismissed the notion, including comments directly from team president Bruce Allen when asked about the possibility of a third franchise tag on Cousins.

"“Yes,” he said. “In the collective bargaining agreement, we really have one year and an option that we can do at the end of next season if we don’t get a contract.”"

If the Redskins do use a tag on Cousins again next year, they have the three usual options. The exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags each carry a $34 million price tag for 2018. The non-exclusive tag leaves the door open for Cousins to sign an offer sheet elsewhere, and in that case the Redskins get two first-round picks if a deal is struck and they don’t match the contract.

The transition tag comes at a lower cost, $28 million. But the Redskins would risk only getting a third-round compensatory draft pick in 2019 if they don’t match a deal Cousins gets elsewhere.

Cousins is already set to make nearly $44 million guaranteed under the franchise tag this year and last. For 2018 alone, the worst-case scenario might be getting $34 million under a franchise tag from the Redskins. A long-term deal would surely include more guaranteed money than that, but spread over a number of years along with added security.

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If Cousins is available, either scot-free as an unrestricted free agent, under a non-exclusive franchise tag, a transition tag or via a trade, it’s easy to tie to him to at least one team where a former Redskins’ offensive coordinator is a head coach.

The San Francisco 49ers are a more likely landing spot than the Los Angeles Rams right now, with 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff in place with the Rams. But if Cousins is available in some capacity next March, barring a disastrous 2017 campaign, he will have multiple suitors.