The Washington Football Team and right guard Brandon Scherff are not expected to reach a long-term deal before Thursday’s deadline, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
The Washington Football Team and All-Pro G Brandon Scherff are not expected to reach a long-term deal by Thursday’s deadline, sources say. One of WFT’s most respected players, Scherff will play on the $18M franchise tag, his second in a row, then hit free agency.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 14, 2021
Scherff will play on the franchise tag for the second consecutive season and earn $18 million in 2021.
This is certainly disappointing for Washington fans who went through this exact scenario four years ago with former quarterback Kirk Cousins. At that time, former team president Bruce Allen repeatedly botched negotiations. With Scherff, that hasn’t been the case.
It isn’t clear why things didn’t work out between Scherff and Washington regarding a long-term deal. John Keim of ESPN reported earlier this year that Scherff had turned down a deal that would have made him the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
Of course, there is always context, and we don’t know the structure of the deal Scherff allegedly turned down.
It appears as if the two sides were content to let the 2021 season play out with Scherff on the tag. For Scherff, it makes sense. He plays on two franchise tags and then signs a long-term deal — somewhere.
There is also risk for Scherff. He has missed 18 games in his six NFL seasons and will be 30 next offseason. He’s missed 16 games the past three seasons.
You could argue this isn’t the greatest use of resources by Washington coach Ron Rivera. Why spend $18 million for a guard on a one-year deal?
Now, Washington gets back its All-Pro offensive lineman for one more season. Beyond that, Rivera isn’t too concerned.