In what sets up as an offseason game of chicken that would markedly influence the quarterback market, the Washington Redskins will consider placing their franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins so that they can trade him and recoup some of the compensation they are sending to Kansas City for Alex Smith, per league sources.
Tagging Cousins would prevent him from becoming a true unrestricted free agent, able to sign where he wants and when he wants when the new league year opens March 14, and could impact how teams approach free agency and the draft. Without a franchise tag, Cousins would be considered the NFL's top available free agent, expected to draw interest from Arizona, Denver, the New York Jets and other quarterback-needy teams.
But Washington might well want a say in where Cousins winds up, which would enable the Redskins to try to extract compensation in the 2018 draft rather than having him walk away for nothing this year.
However, Cousins still would be able to wield some control of the situation and could force Washington into a challenging if not uncomfortable situation. Washington could not trade him until he signs the franchise tag, and if Cousins wanted, he could delay signing it for weeks or even months, with the Redskins having to count his approximate $34.5 million against their salary cap.
Cousins also could tell any of Washington's potential trade partners that he is unwilling to sign a long-term deal there, dampening that teams' enthusiasm for surrendering a top draft pick for his services and holding up any potential trade.
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