Kirk Cousins: 'I don't deserve a long-term' deal if I don't play well
No pressure, Kirk.
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2 min read
Thanks to a surprisingly effective 2015 season, Kirk Cousins earned a significant pay raise for the upcoming year. Under the franchise tag, Cousins is scheduled to earn close to $20 million dollars. His average salary from 2012 to 2015 was less than $650,000, per Spotrac.
But Cousins' goal isn't to secure just one big payday, it's to snag a long-term contract with guaranteed money and financial security included. Before that contract materializes, Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan will likely make Cousins prove his worth.
In other words, McCloughan wants to make sure Cousins' 2015 season wasn't a mirage. By the sound of it, Cousins also wants to find out, saying on Monday that if he doesn't "play well next season," he doesn't "deserve to be back."
"If they feel like they have enough information and want to make that call right now, then great, too," Cousins told 106.7 The Fan, a CBS Sports Radio station. "But I think the ball's in their court and I will react accordingly to whatever decision they make. But I am totally comfortable playing more football, and frankly if I don't play well next season, I don't deserve to be back. I don't deserve a long-term deal. So I want to go out and earn it, and prove myself, and if I need to prove myself again, that's fine. I'll go see if I can do that."
Now, the reason I included the word "likely" above is because Cousins didn't rule out an extension happening this summer.
"I think there's a chance," Cousins said. "Like I said, the ball is in the court of the Redskins, and they can do what they want and they have that right. By no means am I, or are we, going to try to force their hand in any way. They can do what they want and we're going to react accordingly, but if they call, I'll pick up the phone. We'll see where it goes from here."
Cousins completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions last season, setting single-season franchise records in yards and completions. He also helped the Redskins earn a playoff berth as the NFC East champions. Still, those accomplishments weren't enough for Cousins to gain a long-term deal.
Earlier this offseason, McCloughan indicated that he will have no issue overpaying Cousins when the time comes. But Cousins has work to do. For starters, the NFC East should feature much-improved teams, like the Cowboys (who should have a finally healthy Tony Romo) and the Giants (who spent a billion dollars trying to fix their defense). And on a note other than QBWinz, Cousins will need to replicate his strong individual statistical performance, which is still a huge unknown.
On the bright side, if Cousins fails to produce next season and the Redskins let him walk, at least the ending of the relationship will be an amiable experience. And, regardless of what happens, they'll always have this moment to hang onto:
