On Monday afternoon, ESPN reporter John Keim wrote about the issues Washington is having with quarterback Kirk Cousins, and the leverage the QB holds over the team. The most interesting note was when Keim said that one source told him the 49ers are the only team Cousins will sign with right now.
It would appear damage control has begun. Bleacher Report NFL columnist Jason Cole tweeted on Tuesday morning that a source told him Cousins would be open to playing for teams other than Washington or the 49ers if that was what happened. The source told Cole, that the Browns are an intriguing option.
Keim’s Monday report specifically said it was “one source” that told him the 49ers were the team of choice. It is entirely possible that source was not fully informed on Cousins’ thinking. It is also possible there is some conflict on who wants what out of this, and another party is doing some damage control. Washington could be feeding this, but I don’t see what good it would do if Cousins is actually thinking it’s 49ers or Washington, and nothing else.
The start of the NFL Combine means all 32 NFL teams and most NFL agents are in Indianapolis for most of the rest of this week. Negotiations for contracts and trades will kick up a notch, which means more rumors will spill out. A final answer this week seems unlikely, but if a 49ers-Washington trade is going to happen, we’ll likely hear some kind of rumors, report, or otherwise about it this week.