Scot McCloughan, former general manager of the Washington Redskins, says quarterback Kirk Cousins isn’t “special.”
Scot McCloughan laid the franchise tag on Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins back in 2016. Now, he says that despite retaining Cousins during own tenure, he’s not worth franchise money.
In an interview with a Denver radio station on Friday, McCloughan went on the record to say that, while he believed Cousins is a good player, he isn’t what he deems a “special” player.
"“He’s a good player,” he told 104.3 The Fan. Then he added: “Is he special? I don’t see special.”"
That comment is sure to rattle some Redskins fans. When you look at his numbers, it’s arguable that McCloughan is off-base. Since taking over the position in 2015, Cousins is fourth in the NFL in passing yards (13,176) and third in completion percentage (67.0).
There is little doubt that Cousins can sling the ball, but what McCloughan may be pointing out is that he isn’t a franchise quarterback in the sense of Tom Brady or Drew Brees. That’s weird because if that was the case, why would McCloughan sign him to a lucrative franchise tag, tying up significant capital that could have been used to upgrade the roster elsewhere.
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So McCloughan is right in the sense, but you can’t deny that Cousins is a player that can help out a team deep with talent. He could go to the Denver Broncos and revitalize their offense, or head out to the Arizona Cardinals and return them to contender status.
Cousins isn’t a franchise quarterback, much like Eli Manning isn’t, but he’s a solid player that can help out a team in need at the league’s most important position, and that makes him pretty darn special.