Stalemate

Cousins not signed for 2018, rejects two-year deal

- Rick Snider

The Washington Redskins can’t even throw money at a problem anymore.

The franchise that first broke the $100 million payroll under a free-spending owner who overpaid for aging stars failed to extend quarterback Kirk Cousins’ contract past this season. They overspent for busts like Albert Haynesworth, Jeff George, Mark Carrier and dozens more free agents, but couldn’t write a big check to Cousins after setting two straight team passing yardage records. The team’s last offer in May guaranteed $53 million, just $1 million more than Cousins can make over the next two years under the franchise tag.

It’s enough to welcome back former Redskins general manager Vinny Cerrato because he surely would have cut a deal. Instead, president Bruce Allen failed the franchise.

Forget talk of franchising Cousins for a third time next season. It’s not happening at $28.7 million for even a lesser transition tag because other NFL teams can offer “poison pill” clauses the Redskins won’t match.

And forget reports that Cousins is amenable to a longterm deal in 2018. If that was going to happen, it would have done so over the last two years.

No, Cousins and the Redskins will surely part in 2018 after a potential soul-crushing season that might send coach Jay Gruden also packing. Gruden would be the innocent bystander while Allen deserves exit pay for totally mishandling negotiations over three years. However, Allen is going nowhere because Snyder desperately needs him for ongoing stadium negotiations.