The grievance rumored to be filed if the Redskins use the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins for a third straight season will commence, Kimberley Martin of the Washington Post reports.
Cousins’ camp will file a grievance through the NFLPA if the Redskins tag him again, per Martin. This finalized stance comes two days ahead of the first day teams can designate franchise players. Beginning Tuesday, teams have two weeks to use their tags on players they intend to try to sign by the July 16 deadline.
The Redskins did this with Cousins the past two seasons, and he collected more than $44MM as a result of those one-year setups following contentious negotiations, but they do not plan to have him as their quarterback this season. That will be a problem for the team’s case.
Washington having agreed to trade for Alex Smith, and having an extension lined up, would violate a section of the CBA that indicates teams must only tag players if they have a good-faith intention to employ them at or around that salary for the following season. The Redskins’ Smith extension will ensure they have no plans of paying Cousins $34.47MM in 2018, and this purpose would purely be for compensation. Martin notes several executives around the league view this as a spiteful move on Washington’s part.
The 29-year-old passer figures to have a host of suitors should he reach free agency, and this grievance going his way would finalize his path to unrestricted free agency and ignite a frenzied stretch for teams planning for this rare quick-fix quarterback solution.
I would have a hard time blaming him.
I have a hard time feeling for somebody guaranteed that kind of money.
Again. Boo hoo.
Now why on earth would they decide to tag him?
To get better compensation when he leaves, but if I was him I sign the tender immediately, and take my 34.5 million followed by guaranteed UFA next year.
Me too. 34.5 mil to hold a clipboard, not get hurt and still he a UFA and make more $$ next year. Call their bluff Kirk!!
Even though as an UFA this year he’ll get a record breaking contract with guarantees that could top 100 mil?
Or he could choose not to sign it and hold the Redskins hostage, in which case they’d have to rescind it and lose out on compensation for him altogether.
Of course, he’d run the risk of teams having already upgraded at QB by the time the tag would get rescinded, but I don’t think he’d have to worry about his market collapsing.
I would love to see that scenario. It might teach some very valuable lessons to Dan the Man.
I’d call their bluff. And hold the clipboard for 34 million. Or file the grievance.
Couldn’t he sign and screw up Wash’s csp and file a grievance?
If not sign the tender, hold them hostage, wait for free agent period to open. The Skins are over the cap with his hold number and not able to sign anyone and would miss out on FA. Other GM’s will wait the Skins out for a starting QB.
just let him go to the jets already
If I see or hear 1 more thing about Kirk Cousins I’m gonna get sick. Good grief .. every day another article .. what if this or what if that … give it a rest already
Lol imagine being this angry over nothing
I like the people saying to sign the tender to “screw” the Skins when it would also screw Cousins out of $80 million.
Smart and mature.
And, FTR, because of the NFL’s stupid rules regarding trades, Alex Smith is NOT a Redskin right now, so the Skins could argue that tagging Cousins is in good faith for a few weeks until the trade is official and then they dump him.
But the handshake deal in place on the Smith trade would take a snake in the grass money to back out now…