There has been plenty of speculation regarding Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins' future with the team. He has already received some criticism from former Redskins' general manager Scot McCloughan for not being a “special” player.

However, that did not deter McCloughan from trying to sign the quarterback to a new deal. During an appearance on 104.3 The Fan, he admitted the team had tried to reach a long-term deal with Cousins during his time in Washington, according to Scott Allen of The Washington Post:

“The thing about it is, when I was there, we tried to get a long-term deal done and were unable to do it,” McCloughan said. “He’s respected in the building. He’s a really good football player; he’s a leader; he’s a smart guy; he does everything right. But he has all the leverage now. . . . If they tag him for a third time, that’s $34 million for one season. It’s good if you’ve got a guy that you know can win a world championship for you, but it affects the other guys, teammates, because of contracts. You’re investing so much money in one position, you’re going to lose some good players, some good young players, and that, from a GM standpoint, that’s how you have to look at it.”

McCloughan served as the team's GM in 2015 and 2016 and was the first one to use the franchise tag on Cousins. Needless to say, a third consecutive tag would result in a lucrative payday for Cousins while potentially reducing the Redskins' chances to sign other key players. As a result, it seems both sides will either need to come to an agreement on a long-term deal or ultimately part ways.

Washington has indicated that they would love to keep Cousins for the right price. Unfortunately, he will likely garner plenty of attention from the bevy of teams that are without a competent starting quarterback at the moment. Formidable squads like the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals could be more than willing to pay top dollar for Cousins' services.