The resolution of quarterback Kirk Cousins' contract situation with the Washington Redskins may not be so amicable after all. While Cousins, a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, played well in 2015 and, by nearly all accounts and reports, secured the starting gig in Washington long-term, a Tuesday report indicates that coming to terms on a contract extension may not be so easy. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the two sides have "broken off" contract talks and do not have any further talks scheduled.
UPDATE, 3:00 p.m.: La Canfora, citing a source with "direct knowledge" of the negotiations, says that talks remain ongoing though there is a "bridge to gap."
It was reported on Monday that the Skins and Cousins were "nowhere close" in negotiations on a new deal, which, paired with Schefter's report, likely means that Cousins and the Redskins are headed for the franchise tag. According to NFL Network's Albert Breer, the projected cap hit for the quarterback franchise tag in 2016 is somewhere in the vicinity of $19.6 million.
That's a huge chunk of change for a team that's already dealing with big cap decisions on the likes of DeSean Jackson and Terrance Knighton and that has just $13.3 million in salary cap space available, per Over The Cap.
Cousins, a former fourth-round pick in the same draft that landed the Redskins one-time franchise signal-caller Robert Griffin III, appeared in all 16 games and one postseason contest for Washington in 2015. During the regular season, his first as the fulltime starter, Cousins amassed 379 completions, 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 101.6 quarterback rating.
He looked eerily like a franchise quarterback, but also did a lot of his damage against some very bad teams and some downright awful defenses. It could very well be a blessing in disguise if the Redskins are unable to get Cousins signed to a big money long-term deal.
