There’s an elephant in the room in Washington. But Kirk Cousins swears if he just refuses to acknowledge the elephant, it will go away. Or at least wait a few more weeks to get all the peanuts.
The Washington quarterback is on the verge of yet another offseason of contract drama, but he insisted he’s focused on the last four games, even though his team has next-to-no chance to make the playoffs.
“It’s human nature to want to look ahead and know the plan and know what’s coming next,” Cousins said, via the Associated Press. “But it’s been great for me to exercise that muscle of every time those thoughts do show up to say: ‘Let’s focus on the present.’
“Let’s be right here, right now, and understand that that’s the best way to prepare for the future. And I’ve certainly had to remind myself of that many, many times as my mind does drift, but as you practice that discipline, you get better at it.”
If nothing else, he’s had plenty of practice having this talk. Having played the last two seasons on the franchise tag (the first quarterback to do so), Cousins is going to cash in one way or another this offseason. Whether it’s a transition tag at $28.78 million, a third franchise tag at $34.47 million or a long-term deal (from someone), it will be lucrative.
The challenge this year has been different, as injuries have wrecked his offensive line, keeping an offensive rebuild from taking root.
But he’s working hard to convince everyone the only thing that matters is the last month of the season, hoping the financial part of his future takes care of itself.