NFL Rumors: Washington Redskins, Kirk Cousins Won’t Agree To Long-Term Deal

The Washington Redskins shocked the entire NFL last season by winning the NFC East division and making the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Unfortunately, they ended up losing at home to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Kirk Cousins was a big reason for their success, although there are major questions about whether he will be the long-term answer at the quarterback position.

Cousins and the Redskins have had discussions on a long-term deal, but have been unable to come to an agreement. Now, there are even more reasons to be concerned that a contract won’t get done.

According to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Redskins and Cousins will not come to an agreement on a new deal before the July 15 deadline.

Washington was hoping to get a new deal done with him coming into the offseason, but quickly realized that they were not going to be able to do that. Cousins was franchise tagged and there is a chance that this will be the last year that he stays with the Redskins.

Last season with the Redskins, Cousins ended up completing 69.8 percent of his pass attempts for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, according to ESPN. He was an excellent leader for Washington and made his teammates better around him. Washington can’t afford to miss out on what could be another franchise caliber quarterback to lead their franchise forward.

Robert Griffin III was supposed to be the quarterback that led the Redskins back to contention. That ended up being one of the biggest busts in recent NFL Draft history. Cousins was drafted in the same class as Griffin and has ended up being exactly what the Redskins needed.

At 27-years-old, Cousins is in the prime of his career and wants to get paid for the way that he played last season. Washington would prefer to see him play that way for one more year to prove consistency.

If the Redskins want to continue growing and become a Super Bowl contender, they can not go through another period of time without having a legitimate starting quarterback. There is a chance that they could get a deal done with Cousins following the 2016 season, but he will also be able to look around at other offers.

There is no telling what kind of money Cousins is asking for from the Redskins. Obviously it is well out of the price range that the Redskins are willing to pay. Perhaps that will change this season, although Washington is likely being very smart by waiting to see consistency before locking up their long-term financial flexibility.

It will be interesting to see what ends up happening after the 2016 season concludes to say the least. Cousins should get what he is looking for if he lives up to the hype and puts up similar numbers to the season that he had last year. On the other hand, he will have to lower his demands if he comes up short of the expectations.

Expect to hear plenty of rumors come out about the Redskins and Cousins following the upcoming season. They are a perfect fit for each other and it would be a shame to see things end. If the Redskins end up making the playoffs again this season, it is hard to see them not doing what it takes to bring Cousins back long-term.

Do you think that the Washington Redskins should do whatever it takes to re-sign Kirk Cousins long-term? Will he live up to the expectations or take a step back in the 2016 NFL season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[Photo by AP Photo/Nick Wass]