Are McCoy, Sudfeld Ready In Reserve?

Are McCoy, Sudfeld Ready In Reserve?

- Chris Russell

The now for the Redskins is quarterback Kirk Cousins. Could the not-so-distant future be Colt McCoy or Nate Sudfeld? How about both competing against each other to replace Cousins?

That’s what could and likely would happen if Washington parts ways after the 2017 season with Cousins, who did not get a long-term extension completed by July 15th and plays out the year as the most talked about free agent to be.

McCoy and Sudfeld were already hoping to have their shot at meaningful playing time, figuring that Cousins would not be around. Clearly, that kind of wishful thinking will have to wait. McCoy did have chances in both 2014 and in the summer of 2015, but came up just short and now sits firmly entrenched in the on-deck circle as he has been for the last two plus years.

Assuming Cousins plays much of the year, and that’s a fairly safe assumption, McCoy will not trigger a mark that will void the final year of his deal and therefore will remain under contract to Washington for 2018. McCoy would have to play more than half of the team’s snaps to hit that mark.

Clearly, if Cousins were to leave, he would have the edge based on experience in the league and on the field – but if he doesn’t play any meaningful snaps this season, he will have gone over three years without playing any kind of significant football.