Alex Smith trade means Kirk Cousins’ time in Washington is over

With news that Alex Smith will be traded to the Washington Redskins, Kirk Cousins future got a little clearer.

Daniel Snyder saw the State of the Union on Tuesday and raised it a blockbuster NFL trade. Rather than sit around and listen to the president, Snyder was busy at work securing the next quarterback of the Washington Redskins.

That quarterback won’t be Kirk Cousins.

Washington traded a second-round pick in this year’s draft to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Alex Smith. The deal can’t be finalized until the start of the new league year in March but the framework has apparently been signed off on. What this means is the Kirk Cousins drama has finished it’s middle act — he won’t be returning to the Redskins.

The question now, as it has been for months now, is where will Cousins play next? The only clarity we have now is that his future will not be in Washington.

While seemingly insignificant, it’s important to the end game. There was still a chance that Washington and Cousins could come to terms on a deal, but that’s over. Now we know Cousins will wear a new uniform next season which is the next piece of the puzzle.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville is the most logical choice, but it just committed another year to Blake Bortles. There’s room to cut him and save close to $20 million to pursue Cousins but it’s a tricky move to make. The defense is good enough to get to a Super Bowl, and the hope is the right quarterback can take them all the way.

Buffalo Bills

Many thought that a landing spot for Alex Smith could be in Buffalo, but that’s over. Cousins coming to the Bills has been an option discussed among fans and the situation just got a little more logical. Sean McDermott seems to want a pocket passer and Tyrod Taylor will likely be cut. Cousins could be a guy that the Bills pursue now that Smith is out of the equation.

Minnesota Vikings

If the Jaguars can’t afford to get Cousins, the Vikings should make the play. It’s an almost identical situation as in Duval, with Minnesota touting a vaunted defense and an offense that could be special with the right guy. Case Keenum made something out of the corps of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Dalvin Cook is set to be a big part of that offense next year. All of that should be very attractive for Cousins as he looks at his options.

Denver Broncos

This would make sense if the Broncos commit to winning in 2018. That seems obvious, but there’s a lot to not like about Denver when compared to other options for Cousins. The defense is great but is expected to lose Aqib Talib and others this offseason. The offense was a tire fire (largely because of quarterback play) and there could be a new head coach after next year. With so much uncertainty in Denver, John Elway would need a solid sales pitch to land Cousins.

These are conversations that have been going on since last offseason when Cousins didn’t sign an extension. Trading for Alex Smith didn’t offer Cousins any answers to where he’ll play in 2018, but it gave finality to his time in Washington. That’s the first step to finding his new home.