Kirk Cousins might not have gotten the win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but he certainly did enough to earn a lot of praise and respect. The Washington Redskins quarterback did more than enough to prove he is capable of starting in place of Robert Griffin III which for now is only for the next five to six weeks. However, one more quality game from Cousins and people are going to begin wondering if this move will be permanent and what happens to Griffin upon his return.
Cousins went 30-for-48 in passing for 427 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception in his first start of the season. The backup quarterback has seen starting time in the past due to a Griffin injury, but this was the first time that he put up the stats worthy of the top job. There is no question that Cousins fits well into Jay Gruden's offensive scheme and he proved that on Sunday displaying excellent mechanics and decision making skills. So what happens when Griffin returns after dislocating his ankle?
Mike Sando of ESPN.com brings up the idea that continued success from Cousins could spawn a trade of Griffin next offseason. This is merely a suggestion and opinion. There is no evidence supporting the idea. The Redskins have not come out and said they are shopping their current face-of-the-franchise. No one has requested a trade. Hold off the firing squad. However, there is no questioning the fact that Washington has quarterback drama on their hands and will need to make some kind of move one way or another.
Nothing can be judged off one successful game from Cousins, but the resume of stats show that he could only get better with each start. The Redskins face off against the New York Giants on Thursday and if Cousins gets the win, the drama will only increase and continue. Griffin was struggling before his injury. He struggled all of last year in his return from tearing his ACL. The Redskins are committed to him. They have invested a lot in the quarterback. The Washington Post went so far as to say Gruden favored Cousins, but was forced to commit his time to developing Griffin instead.
Cousins has the talent to start. Griffin could as well. The Redskins will need to make a move in the coming offseason. They held off trading Cousins this past summer despite the interest in the quarterback. Could they trade Griffin instead? Never say never.
