Kirk Cousins Will Accept Franchise Tag, Expected to Sign Today

Kirk Cousins was officially given the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Washington Redskins on March 1st. Last night, Cousins' agent Mike McCartney confirmed this, saying that his client will accept the $19.953 million tag. Cousins' agent will not be able to seek contract offers from other teams once the tag is officially signed.

QB @KirkCousins8 has officially accepted the Franchise Tender from the @Redskins

— Mike McCartney (@MikeMcCartney7) March 3, 2016

Multiple reports say that Kirk Cousins will officially sign the tag this morning, making him available for all offseason activities with the team.

Redskins QB Kirk Cousins is signing his franchise tender Thursday morning. Wasting no time.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2016

Kirk Cousins is the Washington Redskins QB for the 2016 season, and now the team continues to work on a long-term deal. When Cousins signs the tender, his salary will hit the books the following week and the Redskins will be making roster moves with free agency starting on Wednesday. The obvious cut is Robert Griffin III, who the Redskins need to release by March 9th to avoid guaranteeing his $16.55 million 5th year option that the team exercised last year.

Negotiations are ongoing between the two parties, with Cousins' camp reportedly looking to get a top contract(~$20 million APY), and the Redskins coming up to $16 million APY. Previous reports had the Redskins starting negotiations at around $12.5 million, and moving closer to $15 million.  Getting a long-term deal could be beneficial for both sides, with the Redskins locking down their QB of the future, and receiving a lower cap hit this year. Cousins gets stability, a system he is comfortable in, and a lot of guaranteed money.

Will the team and the player be able to work out a deal that pays Cousins closer to what he thinks his value is, while not "ruining the organization financially to do it"?

Reasons why Kirk Cousins hasn't taken a deal yet: Redskins' initial offers were $12.5m per year, then $15m per, sources say. Tag is ~$20m.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 27, 2016

From my HQ hit this AM: Redskins' offers to Kirk Cousins have topped $16M/year. Cousins' camp wants APY closer to the tag figure -- $20M.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 2, 2016

UPDATE: Kirk Cousins has officially signed the franchise tag tender

It's "officially official." #Redskins QB @KirkCousins8 signs franchise tender.

: https://t.co/IS7WON8fGX pic.twitter.com/pICZGGoDYo

— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) March 3, 2016