What happens if Kirk Cousins gets franchise tagged again?

The New York Jets are in dire need of a new quarterback to add to their roster. All sights could be on potential free agent Kirk Cousins but what happens if he gets franchise tagged again by the Washington Redskins?

There is hope that this offseason, the New York Jets finally address their quarterback situation. Josh McCown is set to be a free agent as there is no guarantee he’ll be back with the Jets next season. Bryce Petty played some pretty terrible football and his future with the organization might not be a good one. Christian Hackenberg didn’t even get a single snap last season and well, he might also not be the answer the Jets are looking for.

With a lot of salary cap money to play with (potentially over $100 million), it’s expected the Jets will be heavy hitters once the free agency period hits in March. Of course, since they’re in the market for a new franchise quarterback, Kirk Cousins would make a lot of sense.

He’s a smart quarterback, has a very good arm, accurate, and is a leader of men. His fate this offseason, unfortunately, still lies with the Washington Redskins. If they wanted to, they could franchise tag him for the third straight year and well, keep him from going anywhere as they continue to work out a long-term contract that satisfies both sides.

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If the Redskins franchise tag him, the Jets would have no other choice but to either consider other options at quarterback or do the next logical thing from a football point of view. It’s no secret that the best general managers in the NFL build through the draft.

With the No. 6 overall pick, the Jets should be able to draft a game-changing franchise quarterback that would have the potential to lead this franchise for years to come. General manager Mike Maccagnan and his scouting team would undoubtedly have to do all the necessary research to ensure whoever they pick is indeed “the guy” the Jets have been trying to have for decades now.

Cousins should be a top priority for the Jets if he does hit free agency but if he doesn’t, Plan B is to use their salary cap money to address other areas of need (offensive line, pass rush, cornerback). Then logically, the No. 6 pick should be used on the best player available at quarterback to hopefully end their inconsistencies from the most important position on the team.