For the third offseason in a row, the Washington Redskins face a decision huge decision surrounding the future of Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins potentially hitting the free agent market. However, the team has seemingly already resolved their situation under center with the acquisition of Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs back in late January.

But there's still the question of whether the front office would go the route of using the franchise tag on Cousins for the third straight offseason. According to John Keim of ESPN, the Redskins are not expected to place that designation on the 29-year-old once again prior to the March 6 deadline.

 The Washington Redskins don't anticipate using the franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Redskins senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams said Wednesday that he doesn't think they would try to tag Cousins for a third straight season.

Kirk Cousins, Redskins
Derik Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports
Article Continues Below
More NFL News
Dallas Cowboys 2025 first round pick Tyler Booker poses for a photo during the first period between the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Cowboys 2025 Draft pick shows WNBA support at Wings-SparksTim Crean ·
One mystery player in the middle, Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones around him, Kansas City Chiefs logo in the background
Rising Kansas City Chiefs rookie turning heads in 2025 OTAsEnzo Flojo ·
One mystery player in the middle - Josh Allen and Khalil Shakir around him - Buffalo Bills logo in the background
Rising Buffalo Bills rookie turning heads in 2025 OTAsEnzo Flojo ·
One mystery player in the middle - CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr around him - Houston Texans logo in the background
Rising Houston Texans rookie turning heads in 2025 OTAsEnzo Flojo ·
One mystery player in the middle - Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry around him - Baltimore Ravens logo in the background
Rising Baltimore Ravens rookie turning heads in 2025 OTAsEnzo Flojo ·
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) blocks against Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson (74) at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter.
Steelers’ Cam Heyward slams fan for burning Fitzpatrick jersey over Rodgers dealJosh Davis ·

This isn't surprising given the arrival of Smith along with the enormous $34.5 million in salary cap space that would be committed to Cousins before the start of the free agency period if he is tagged again. Unless they are able to move him well before free agency, this could prevent them from being active in the market to signing players.

There is also the notion that Cousins could take legal action by filing for a grievance through the league that would likely work in his favor. He is also expected to decline working out a long-term deal with whatever team he is traded to on the franchise tag before the July 16 deadline. It is a route that would have many different possible risks that could severely impact the franchise in a negative manner.

Kirk Cousins, Redskins
Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press

All of this only points to Cousins being able to hit the free agent market for the first time in his career where he is expected to attract a ton of attention from several teams around the league such as the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals. This latest stance from the Redskins should mark the close of his time with the organization.