We may not know who Kirk Cousins will be playing for to start the 2018 NFL season but one thing is for certain, he is going to make a boatload of money.
Washington is reported to have acquired quarterback Alex Smith from the Chiefs, which has all but put Cousins on the open market. Online sportsbooks are offering odds on where he will play in 2018, with the Mile High City looking like the favorite to be the next home of the sixth-year signal-caller.
The Jets have the financial flexibility to offer Cousins the long-term deal he craves while putting him in a system that he would be familiar with.
Sportsbook has the Denver Broncos as the probable destination for Captain Kirk at -150. John Elway has never been gun-shy about taking a run at free agents and if Cousins prioritized winning over dollars (he has banked over $40 million in franchise tag money in the last two years), this would be the best place to go.
The Broncos have playmakers on both sides of the ball and would be primed to return to the postseason if Cousins was their quarterback. Not to mention, he recently got an endorsement from All-Pro linebacker Von Miller to come join the team.
The New York Jets are the next likely landing spot for Cousins at +300 and it seems to be a match made in heaven. The Jets have the financial flexibility to offer Cousins the long-term deal he craves while putting him in a system that he would be familiar with. The Jets’ new offensive coordinator is Jeremy Bates, who runs a similar offensive game plan to the one that Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan instituted in Washington during Cousins’ tenure.
If money AND legacy are the goals for Cousins, then he may consider the Cleveland Browns, who are listed at +400. Cleveland has the second-most cap space this offseason, and two top-five picks in the upcoming draft to help spearhead a rebuild. Not to mention if Cousins could carry the Browns back to the postseason, he would be a god in Ohio.
Other franchises that are listed are the Arizona Cardinals (+500), Buffalo Bills (+1000), New York Giants (+2000), Jacksonville Jaguars (+2000) and Miami Dolphins (+2000).
Among those teams, the only ones that could make sense are Arizona and Buffalo. Both have outgoing quarterbacks and will be desperate to land a franchise-changer in Cousins. But almost all the teams listed above would either have to do some cap gymnastics to pay Cousins or have already made it known they’re sticking with the incumbents (see: Jaguars and Giants).
- Broncos -150
- Jets +300
- Browns +400
- Cardinals +500
- Bills +1000
- Giants +2000
- Jaguars +2000
- Dolphins +2000
Odds as of February 1 on Sportsbook
