Kirk Cousins Rumors: Jets Favored, Broncos, Cardinals, Browns In Play For Quarterback

Let the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes begin. The Washington Redskins reportedly agreed to trade for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith Tuesday night, all but guaranteeing that Cousins will sign elsewhere as a free agent in the 2018 NFL offseason.

There will be no shortage of suitors for Cousins, who has proven to be a top-10 quarterback in three seasons as Washington’s starter. Considering the contracts that Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck and Derek Carr have signed in the last 18 months, Cousins could get close to $30 million per year.

A couple of teams could become immediate Super Bowl contenders by adding Cousins. Washington ranked 21st in yards allowed during the 2017 season, and a competent defense could’ve gotten the Redskins to the playoffs.

Take the Denver Broncos, for example, who were third in yards allowed during the regular season. Incredibly poor quarterback play resulted in a 5-11 record. Had the team started one of the league’s top signal callers, they might have been able to make some noise in the postseason.

It was just two years ago that Peyton Manning had his worst season in the NFL and Denver won the Super Bowl because of an elite defense. When Trevor Siemian was mediocre a season ago, Denver still had a winning record.

That’s why Denver is considered one of the frontrunners to sign Cousins when he officially hits free agency in March.

The New York Jets have the best betting odds to sign Cousins, according to OddsShark. New York might not be on the precipice of winning a championship, but they are understandably an attractive option for Cousins.

New York was competitive in most of their games last season with Josh McCown under center, going 5-7 as a starter before suffering a season-ending injury. The Jets have the makings of a good defense in place after drafting safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye with their first two picks in 2017.

Most importantly, the Jets have the means to give Cousins the contract he wants. According to Spotrac, New York has nearly $80 million in space under the salary cap.

It’s the same reason why the Cleveland Browns are in play for the quarterback, even though they have just one win in the last two seasons. The Browns have more than $100 million to spend, and a quarterback is their biggest need. Cleveland ranked in the top half of the league in total defense during their 0-16 season.

The Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills are borderline playoff teams without a franchise quarterback. Would they be willing to shell out $150 million for Cousins?

There’s speculation that the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars could be candidates to sign Cousins, as well. They’ve got the best two defenses in football with questions at quarterback.

Cousins officially becomes a free agent on March 14.