The 49ers could soon have a well-regarded offensive mind at the helm if Kyle Shanahan accepts their forthcoming head coaching offer. As the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, Shanahan has worked with a high-end quarterback in Matt Ryan over the past two years. In San Francisco, regardless of whether Colin Kaepernick opts out of his contract, Shanahan arguably wouldn’t inherit a starting-caliber signal-caller – let alone one in Ryan’s stratosphere.
Given the 49ers’ lack of appealing options under center, the Shanahan-led team could attempt to acquire Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. No player in the NFL has more leverage than Cousins, posits Schefter, as the pending free agent will either end up as the Redskins’ franchise player again on a $23.94MM salary in 2017 or sign a long-term deal with someone – be it Washington or another club.
As PFR’s Dallas Robinson detailed Thursday, striking a multiyear pact with Cousins before next season would be the optimal outcome for the Redskins. There’s no indication the two are moving toward an accord, though, and Cousins is reportedly looking to become the league’s third-highest-paid QB on an annual basis.
In the unlikely event the Redskins allow Cousins to hit free agency this winter, the Niners “would pursue him as hard as they’ve pursued Shanahan,” according to Schefter. But even if Washington tags Cousins, that still might not deter the 49ers from chasing him, per Schefter, who suggests they could put together a package centering on their first-round pick – No. 2 overall – to acquire the soon-to-be 29-year-old. That would perhaps be enough for the Redskins to part with Cousins, as it would cost them an unappetizing $34.48MM to tag him again next year.
While the Redskins have plenty of cap space this offseason, no NFC team has more than San Francisco. The 49ers’ $81MM-plus in spending space for 2017 will only increase with Kaepernick’s likely departure, and the franchise is also set to have plenty of cap room over the next few years. That would seem to make a Cousins pursuit realistic from at least a financial perspective, then.
From a football standpoint, Cousins would be the 49ers’ best QB in years if they were to pick him up. The five-year veteran has posted strong performances in each of his two campaigns as a starter. While the 8-7-1 Redskins weren’t able to replicate their playoff-bound 2015 showing this season, Cousins nonetheless stood out with a 67 percent completion rate, 4,917 yards (only Drew Brees and Ryan had more) and 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.