The Washington Commanders need a solution at quarterback. No team has more salary cap space this offseason than Washington. And there happens to be a prominent free-agent quarterback who is expected to be available in March.
If you guessed Kirk Cousins, you would be correct.
Wait, Kirk Cousins and Washington? Could that even be possible?
The answer is yes. Cousins wanted out of Washington after six seasons in the burgundy gold. A fourth-round pick out of Michigan State in 2012 — the same draft when Washington chose Robert Griffin at No. 2 overall — and he would overtake Griffin, appearing in 62 games for Washington, with 57 starts.
The team would apply the franchise tag to Cousins twice, and the quarterback would say all the right things about wanting to remain in Washington. However, there was no way he would stay with Daniel Snyder owning the team and Bruce Allen as general manager.
In case you haven’t heard, Allen is long gone, and Snyder no longer owns the team. That would make a reunion at least possible.
Cousins set numerous franchise records that he still holds today. He was having a phenomenal 2023 season until an Achilles injury ended his season. Outside of that injury, Cousins had only missed two starts in the previous eight seasons.
Yes, the Commanders need a quarterback, and the bad blood Cousins likely held for those in power before is gone. But a reunion doesn’t make sense for multiple reasons.
One, Cousins will be 36 in 2024. His window to win is closing while Washington is rebuilding under new GM Adam Peters. The Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, where they will likely select their quarterback of the future.
Bleacher Report recently previewed some veteran quarterbacks who could be on the move in 2024. Kirk Cousins was tops on the list. Alex Ballentine named Cousins’ best landing spot (remaining in Minnesota) and his worst landing spot: Washington.
He explained:
The Commanders have the opportunity to draft a franchise-altering quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick. It’s a great chance at a clean slate for an organization that is looking to put the days of Dan Snyder behind them and forge ahead under Josh Harris’ ownership.
So while it could be tempting to use their league-leading $84.3 million in cap space to sign Cousins and have an elite mentor for their new rookie signal-caller, it would be bad for all parties involved.
First, it would be a clear downgrade in terms of weapons. All due respect to Terry McLaurin, but he isn’t Justin Jefferson, and Jahan Dotson isn’t Jordan Addison.
Beyond that, it would just set up an awkward situation. The biggest upside to both Caleb Williams and Drake Maye is that either is a Day 1 starter. They both have incredibly high ceilings, but neither will need the ramp-up time to become a starter.
That’s essentially the truth, outside of the awkwardness. Outside of fans who still despise Cousins for some unknown reasons, the awkwardness wouldn’t be an issue. The fit just doesn’t make sense.
The Commanders are building for the future, while Cousins wants to win now. If you’re banking on a reunion between the two sides, you’ll likely be disappointed.