Kirk Cousins is officially on the market.
The deadline for teams to give out the franchise tag passed Tuesday, and the Washington Redskins opted not to tag Cousins for the third straight year.
The 29-year-old quarterback will now hit free agency, with four teams — the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings — expected to compete for his services.
Last week, Redskins senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams said he didn’t think Washington would give Cousins the tag, which would have been worth $34.5 million for one year. The Redskins reportedly weighed the decision because they wanted compensation for Cousins, which is not guaranteed in free agency.
With Cousins leaving, the Redskins could gain as high as a third-round compensatory pick in the 2019 draft. But the league’s selection process is complicated and depends on Washington’s approach to free agency.
The Redskin already have another quarterback in place, former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who was acquired in a January trade. The Smith trade becomes official March 14.
Cousins’ future has been the storyline of the NFL offseason — dominating discussion at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. The Minnesota Vikings, coming off an NFC championship appearance, are considered the favorites to land Cousins.
Cousins, however, has not crossed off any potential destination just yet, according to the New York Daily News.
The league is watching closely to see the type of contract Cousins signs. He is likely to set a record in annual salary, perhaps as much as $30 million per year mark. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that teams are mulling offering short-term deals with heavy guarantees.
Cousins has previously said guarantees are important for his next deal. He also has maintained winning is the No. 1 priority.
After two straight years of playing on a one-year contract, Cousins said in January he wanted to explore his options in free agency. The Redskins and Cousins had time to discuss a long-term deal, but Cousins said he wouldn’t negotiate until he knew if free agency was an option.
That forced the Redskins to move on.
Williams said the Redskins couldn’t wait until the “12th hour … and leave us with the bag.” At the Super Bowl, Cousins said he understood the decision.
The Redskins and Cousins failed multiple times to agree on a long-term contract. In 2015, a red-hot Cousins turned down an extension offer that he said was a “bargain” for the team. The following offseason, he was tagged by the Redskins after executives wanted to see more evidence that Cousins’ 2015 season was no fluke.
A year later, with leverage again on his side, Cousins passed on a long-term offer from the Redskins, a decision that prompted team president Bruce Allen to publicly disclose the offer — $53 million guaranteed and $72 million for injury —— in a press conference. In January, Cousins said he thought the offer was a fair starting point.
Cousins will now move on after six years in Washington, the last three as the starter. He’s thrown for more than 4,000 yards in all three, but the Redskins have missed the playoffs twice.
The reported destinations for the former Redskin each have positives: Denver, Arizona and Minnesota field strong defenses and have good-to-great skill players to support Cousins. The Jets have the most salary cap space of the four.
Teams can start negotiating with Cousins on Monday.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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