One of the biggest decisions for the Washington Redskins to make in 2020 is regarding what to do with linebacker Ryan Kerrigan going forward.
Kerrigan, who is 31 years old and due $11.7 million in 2020, is in an interesting place in his career. With just one year left on his contract, he’s likely to stand by and watch as the Redskins draft DE Chase Young with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — a person who is likely to relegate him into a backup role in Washington.
Some, including us, believe that it would be best for the Redskins to try and trade Kerrigan to a contending team, allowing him to play for a title in his remaining years. However, when you factor in his age, money owed, and the fact that his contract will be up soon, it could be next to impossible to find a suitable team to take Kerrigan off their hands.
ESPN’s John Keim, though, is suggesting that the Redskins hold on to Kerrigan, restructuring the final years of his contract and keeping him on as a situational pass-rusher alongside Montez Sweat and Young.
But rather than simply cutting Kerrigan (or trading him, though he would not fetch much because of his age and salary), they can offset his cost by lowering his base salary this year but tacking on another season. He could then fill a role a la Clay Matthews with the Rams or Chris Long when he was with the Patriots and then Eagles — situational pass-rushers. Also, owner Dan Snyder likes and respects Kerrigan quite a bit. That’s important here, too.
It may be hard to convince Kerrigan to late less money on a year-to-year basis while adding to his contract and agreeing to play a new position, but there’s always a possibility. At the end of the day, things definitely won’t be the same for Kerrigan in 2020.
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