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Head coach Jay Gruden made a bold move at the beginning of the season by naming Kirk Cousins the starting quarterback and moving Robert Griffin III to the bench. Griffin has struggled in Gruden’s offensive scheme, and never seemed to be a good fit. Cousins made more sense for the offense, but he had certainly seen his fair share of ups and downs so far in his career.
Luckily for the Washington Redskins, Cousins bounced back from a difficult start to close out the season strong, proving that he can be their quarterback of the future.
Finding a quality starting quarterback is extremely difficult at the professional level, and teams pay a premium in order to secure one. The Redskins lost a huge gamble when they moved up in the draft to select Griffin, whose career dramatically changed after his impressive rookie season. Cousins had stepped in at different moments, sometimes producing good numbers while other times turning the ball over too often.
He was given the chance this year, but continued to turn the ball over at an alarming rate. His top targets were not always on the field as they battled numerous injuries. Yet around the halfway point, he started to turn things around and truly became a leader for this offense. He found his groove and ended up throwing for more than 4,000 yards while completing almost 70 percent of his passes. More importantly, he threw only two interceptions in the final eight games, proving that he could be trusted with the ball.
It certainly helped when Jordan Reed and DeSean Jackson were healthy, but Cousins has shown that he can be a good starter. He has an improving offensive line and understands what the coaching staff wants from him. He has helped the Redskins get into the playoffs, and now the organization must do what they can to keep him long-term.
The Redskins know all too well how hard it is to find a quality quarterback, and they cannot afford to lose him this offseason.
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