The Facts: Back in May, Cousins responded to a question about the prospect of playing out the year on the franchise tag by saying that he didn't feel he deserved a long-term deal if he doesn't play well during the 2016 season. That prospect is now the reality for Cousins, who didn't sign a multi-year deal before the July 15 deadline to get one done. Cousins talked about the situation again on Wednesday and reiterated that he's comfortable and even looking forward to the chance to prove his worth this season. "If I wasn't wanted here, the team would not have franchise-tagged me," Cousins said. "Whether I was on a long-term deal or a one-year deal, if I didn't play well this season, it wasn't going to matter."
Diehards Line:
Cousins added: "I feel good about having this one season to go prove myself and see what I can do. I’ve always been at times a little underrated, a little overlooked and that’s okay. That’s part of my story. I think I do relish the opportunity to prove to people that I’m capable of playing well and being here for a long time. Having that opportunity to prove yourself is really all you can ask for in this league.” As PFT suggested, Cousins has that opportunity and making the most of it will lead to another round of negotiating with the Redskins that could include the use of another franchise tag. That would boost Cousins’ salary to $24 million in 2017 and set the bar for a long-term deal even higher than it was this time around.