If Washington opts not to apply the $34.47 million franchise tender on quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2018, he’ll be free to hit the open market. Which means he could hit the road.
If he does, he could end up in Denver. Star pass rusher Von Miller would have no problem with that.
“Kirk’s a great quarterback,” Miller told reporters after Sunday’s game between the two teams. “I’ll say that every day of the week. A lot of teams would kill to have a quarterback like that. He just came out and he was playing great. At first, he was a little shaky but back to typical Kirk Cousins in the second half.”
Eventually, Cousins was (according to Miller) “on fire,” thanks to his ability to connect on quick passes as part of Washington’s 27-11 win.
In the offseason, the question is whether the Broncos will be inclined to make a connection to Cousins. G.M. John Elway likes to drive a hard bargain (as Miller knows very well). Will Elway be able to talk Cousins into taking something less than a cap-busting deal, especially if another team is offering more?
However it plays out, Elway needs to solve his quarterback problem next year. If he doesn’t, the Broncos could be on track for the first back-to-back losing seasons since the early 1970s.