Washington Redskins NFL Trade Rumors: Bruce Allen Says They Are Keeping Kirk Cousins
Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has been the subject of trade rumors for months now and talks about a possible trade gained a lot of steam after he signed his franchise-player tender earlier this month. Cousins will probably draw a lot of interest for a number of teams if he's dangled as trade bait, but it seems the Redskins want him to be their starting quarterback this season.
Redskins team president Bruce Allen was at the annual league meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this week and he spoke with CSN Mid Atlantic's JP Finlay. In the interview, he insisted that Cousins wasn't going anywhere and he said that was why they placed the franchise tag on him.
"I can't keep up with the rumors. Kirk and I have talked almost a dozen times this offseason, and we get to laugh when we hear these different rumors. We haven't talked to anyone," Allen said during the interview. "Our goal from the beginning has been long-term. I'm still hopeful and confident we'll do it," he continued.
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"We have (Cousins) under contract this year. We have an option for the 2018 season. We're comfortable where we're at. We're going to worry about this year and the next game. But our goal is to sign him to a multi-year contract," he told CBS Washington.
The Redskins will try to keep Cousins beyond the 2017 season, but can they really do it? They have until July 15 to convince him to sign a long-term contract with them, otherwise, they will have to pay him $23.94 million this season. If he refuses to sign the contract, the Redskins can use the franchise tag on him again next season, but that will cost them $34.47 million. That doesn't sound like a good idea.
Allen can keep saying that they want to keep Cousins, but the trade rumors will not completely die down until he signs a long-term contract with the Redskins.
