Kirk Cousins is officially on the market

The future of Kirk Cousins could be in doubt.

The Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs agreed in principle to a mega-trade on Tuesday night. Kansas City sent quarterback Alex Smith to Washington for compensation that includes at least a second-round pick and reportedly more, according to Ian Rapoport. Rapoport later reported that it was a third-round selection and a player, although details are still emerging.

Then, only minutes later, a report from Adam Schefter emerged that the Redskins had signed Smith to a four-year extension, giving him a total of five years on his current deal. The terms of the contract are unknown at this time.

With that bombshell of a move, the Redskins announced that they both feel strongly about a long-term future with Alex Smith, and that Kirk Cousins is no longer in their plans.

Cousins, 29, is about to be one of the highest-paid players in the game’s history, if not the highest. In the prime of his career, Cousins has proven that he is durable and talented. He’s thrown for more than 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in each of the previous three campaigns. He won a division title in 2015.

Considering the amount of teams that want a quarterback, Cousins is going to have a bidding war for his services. The former star at Michigan State will likely have suitors including the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars (if they release Blake Bortles and his $19 million cap hit) and perhaps the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota would be an interesting option considering how good the team is already. The Vikings are coming off a trip to the NFC Championship Game in which Case Keenum was the starter throughout most of the year. Cousins would have a healthy Dalvin Cook in the backfield along with Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph as weapons, not too mention a punishing defense.

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However, the Broncos might be the leader in the clubhouse. General manager John Elway has been vocal about his team’s need to upgrade, while being open to rookies or veterans. Cousins would have a terrific defense in Denver, as well as Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the outside. There would be legitimate concern about the offensive line, but that can be addressed in free agency.

Either way, Kirk Cousins is out of Washington, something that seemed unfathomable only a few years ago. The Redskins have met their course with Smith. While their former signal-caller now heads onto the open market with a chance to earn more than $100 million. Not a bad day for Cousins, who now sees a clear path to riches beyond his wildest dreams.