The courtship of Kirk Cousins should begin now. There’s no reason to wait until the spring to make it known the Jets want him to be their franchise quarterback.
It’s a path the Jets can pursue now that he isn’t going to San Francisco like most assumed. Signing Cousins should be Plan A for the Jets offseason if the Redskins quarterback becomes a free agent and entertains offers from not only the Jets but other quarterback-needy teams around the league.
Sure, it’s still the middle of the 2017 season with the Jets (3-5) looking to end a three-game losing streak Thursday night against the Bills, while the Redskins (3-4) travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks on Sunday. But it’s not too early for the Jets front office to start figuring out how much money it’s going to take to put Cousins in green next season if given the opportunity.
Look, Cousins might not be the sexiest quarterback to hit the free-agent market. He’s not Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. But he’s a six-year veteran who has won games and knows how to manage an offense. Some Redskins fans can’t wait to see him go. But the Jets desperately need some stability at the position and if Cousins, 29, can provide it for the next four or five years, then it would be worth the Jets’ investment.
The 49ers had been the front-runner to lure Cousins away from Washington where he is playing out a one-year contract under the franchise tag worth $24 million after turning down a multi-year deal offered last summer that included a guaranteed $53 million. Cousins’ former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is now the 49ers head coach and their reunion seemed like a natural fit.
But the Niners settled their quarterback vacancy by acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade with the Patriots on Monday. This offseason will offer a chance for the Jets to settle theirs.
The Redskins, of course, could end any opportunity of losing Cousins by re-signing him to a long-term deal or place a franchise tag on him for a third consecutive time. If the latter occurs, it would take two first-round draft choices and $34 million to get him out of Washington, a price most teams, including the Jets, wouldn’t match.
Nonetheless, getting Cousins should be the Jets’ Plan A this offseason. Plan B isn’t shabby either. The Jets should end up with a top-10 draft pick and could swap with the 49ers to claim their spot in the draft, which figures to be among the top two. That wouldn’t be a bad option if there’s a conviction for one of the young quarterbacks coming out of college.
All of this is only necessary if the Jets aren’t ready to commit to Christian Hackenberg. The 2016 second-round draft pick has been an enigma. His small body of work came during the preseason and despite being given every chance to win the starting job, he raised concerns about being even a reliable backup.
Hackenberg deserves a chance to play in the regular season if the Jets continue to lose. But there’s been nothing so far to suggest he’ll be ready to lead an NFL offense next season. Bryce Petty has shown more flashes than Hackenberg, but can’t seem to stay healthy enough to be a long-term consideration.
That’s why the Jets need to make a hard run at Cousins. He might not be a future Hall of Famer, but he’s a solid quarterback who competes. If he can handle the pressure of owning the second most important job in Washington, he can handle playing in New York.
The guess here is the Redskins will find a way to keep Cousins with a multi-year deal. But maybe the Jets can let it be known there’s a better offer out there. That should start now. The Jets have gone long enough without a franchise quarterback. Cousins could be that guy. That should be the plan.