BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Any concerns about Kirk Cousins’ decision-making were eased on Wednesday afternoon when he walked past many of the other options in the Mall of America food court to stand on line at Shake Shack.
Great choice, Kirk.
In about six weeks, Cousins will face a much tougher decision. The quarterback is going to be the top free agent on the market after the Redskins made it clear they are not bringing him back by agreeing to a trade with the Chiefs to acquire Alex Smith.
The Jets must decide between now and then if they are going to be one of the teams wooing him with bundles of cash and promises of playoff runs.
For general manager Mike Maccagnan, make-or-break time has arrived, and the 2018 quarterback decision, which Cousins now moves to front and center in, could decide his fate with the organization.
Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles are entering their fourth season with the team. The honeymoon ended long ago.
Maccagnan has not solved the franchise’s decades-long quarterback problem yet. He has drafted two quarterbacks that both look like they are not the answer. Christian Hackenberg, his second-round pick in 2016, has not taken a snap in his two seasons. Maccagnan has used veteran Band-Aids at the position with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown.
But it’s time to rip off the Band-Aid and find a long-term answer under center.
Is that Cousins?
That is what Maccagnan must figure out. Cousins is a human Rorschach test — everyone sees something different. Some see a franchise quarterback who has played well on a bad team in Washington. Others see a solid quarterback who can win games with a good supporting cast around him, but one who will never be elite.
Whatever the opinion is on Cousins, the price tag is going to be exorbitant. Cousins is expected to get the richest contract in NFL history. His contract could be five years, $150 million with around $90 million guaranteed.
Matthew Stafford set the market for quarterbacks in August when the Lions signed him to a five-year, $135 million extension with $87 million in the first three years. Surely, Cousins’ agent is going to point to that and the fact that Cousins and Stafford have nearly identical stats over the past three years. Stafford is 25-23 with one playoff appearance over that time; Cousins is 24-23-1 and also went to the playoffs once. Stafford had 13,035 passing yards and 85 touchdowns; Cousins threw for 13,176 yards and 81 touchdowns. Interceptions? Stafford threw 33 and Cousins tossed 36. Both players turn 30 this offseason.
The Jets will have the salary-cap space. Once they make some expected cuts like Muhammad Wilkerson and Matt Forte, they will have more than $80 million in cap space and that could get close to $100 million depending on the new cap.
More than cap space, the question will be: Are Woody and Christopher Johnson willing to dole out that big of a check for a player who might be a franchise quarterback but might not be?
If they are willing to cut the check, Maccagnan must then figure out whether bringing in a 30-year-old makes more sense than drafting a quarterback with the No. 6 pick. If he does hand out the big contract, it will be out of character for a GM who has emphasized building through the draft. It also may indicate he and Bowles realize that they need to win in 2018 and a rookie likely won’t do that.
The move could also tell you what the Jets think about the college quarterbacks in this class and/or their chances of landing one. Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield all look like first-round picks right now, but the Jets may believe only one of them is the real deal. Can they land that guy or is it safer to sign Cousins?
If the Jets think Cousins is more likely to sign with the Broncos or Browns, two quarterback-needy teams drafting ahead of them, that could also factor into the decision. If he signs with one of those teams, theoretically that cuts down the number of quarterbacks drafted before them at No. 6.
This is rare chance for Maccagnan. Good quarterbacks do not hit free agency very often. Peyton Manning in 2012 and Drew Brees in 2006 are the only recent examples, and both were coming off serious injuries. The fact the Redskins are allowing Cousins to walk also should give Maccagnan pause. Teams don’t let good players, especially quarterbacks, become free agents.
Maccagnan can’t afford to whiff here.
If he does not believe Cousins is the answer, then he can re-sign Josh McCown for 2018 and draft a quarterback to develop.
If he does believe in Cousins, roll out the red carpet … and the Shake Shack burgers.