With questions around quarterback Kirk Cousins’ future in Washington looming as the offeseason approaches, Redskins coach Jay Gruden put aside any doubts Cousins would sit out the team’s final regular-season game against the 2-13 New York Giants on Sunday.
“No, there’s no thought to that at all,” Gruden said on a conference call Tuesday when asked if Cousins might sit to keep him healthy heading into next season. “Kirk wants to finish out the season and [he’s] got to get us back to 8-8, and I think finishing on a three-game win streak is important to a lot of people here. Finishing strong is what we’ve been preaching here the last two, three weeks and that’ll be the case again this week against the Giants. He’ll play.”
Despite having no playoff implications, a win over New York on Sunday would mean the Redskins finish a third consecutive season with a .500 record or better, a feat Washington has not accomplished in over a decade. A victory would also clinch the first season sweep over the Giants since 2011, the Redskins having defeated New York 20-10 back in Week 12.
Cousins and the Redskins have performed well over the past two weeks, defeating two of the league’s top defenses in Arizona and Denver. Cousins put in solid performances in both games, throwing for a combined 495 yards and five touchdowns over the past two weeks, and will look to continue his recently strong play against the Giants on New Year’s Eve.
In addition, Cousins getting the start on Sunday means the former Michigan State Spartan will become the first Redskins quarterback to start 16 games in three consecutive seasons since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978.
Despite his stability under center for the Redskins, the likelihood of Cousins staying in Washington beyond this year remains uncertain. The team could place a costly franchise tag on him for a third straight year, or let him field offers from other teams around the league who would pay top dollar for a potential franchise quarterback.
While not talking about Cousins specifically, Gruden discussed how he and his coaching staff plan to approach the offseason.
“Really, you want to make sure you keep the ones that are the guys in the locker room that you want to have around, the guys that are working hard on a consistent basis and performing at a high level consistently,” he said. “We’ll take a look at everybody, every player in-depth, when the season’s over and go from there.”
Cousins can certainly be included in the group that has performed at a high level consistently, once again posting a top-10 passer rating so far this season as he did in 2015 and 2016, and with just 65 passing yards Sunday could become only the 11th quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.
Nonetheless, the debate rages on: will Cousins be wearing the burgundy and gold in 2018? No one, not even Gruden or Cousins himself, seems to have the answer just yet.
Beyond Cousins, Gruden also announced that defensive lineman Ziggy Hood fractured his elbow in Washington’s 27-11 victory over the Denver Broncos Sunday. The injury will force him to miss the matchup with the Giants.
“Yes, he’ll be out, obviously,” Gruden said of Hood. “He fractured his elbow. It’s non-surgical though, so he should be good to go soon but obviously not this week.”
The Missouri product earned 13 starts in his second season in Washington, totaling 13 tackles after recording 17 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble last season for the Redskins.
The eight-year veteran began his career in Pittsburgh with the Steelers in 2009, His NFL career also included stints in Jacksonville and Chicago before he arrived in Washington in 2016.
Hood joins a long list of injured Washington defenders, including 2017 first-round pick Jonathan Allen, linebackers Zach Brown and Ryan Anderson, and rookie safety Montae Nicholson, among others.
• Josh Luckenbaugh can be reached at jluckenbaugh@washingtontimes.com.
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