Franchise tag will again be key in Redskins-Cousins negotiations

Kirk Cousins is going to get paid, it's just a matter of when - and maybe, by who.

The fifth-year quarterback is playing under the $19.95-million franchise tag in 2016 after his camp and the Washington Redskins were unable to reach a long-term contract extension this past offseason.

The Redskins' motivation was to use the one-year tender to make Cousins prove his breakout 2015 campaign was no fluke, and the young pivot has done just that.

He dismantled the Green Bay Packers in impressive fashion last Sunday night, throwing three touchdowns and 375 yards in front of a national audience. Barring a colossal collapse, he'll return to the negotiating table with a ton of leverage over the Redskins.

The only card Washington can play is the one they did this offseason and tag Cousins again if his demands are too steep, but this time for a number that's expected to be around $24 million.

As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network outlined, the Redskins have a major decision to make: franchise Cousins for the second straight year and set the negotiation ballpark at Andrew Luck-type numbers, or allow him to hit free agency, where a number of a quarterback-starved teams are likely to happily hand him top money.

It'll be a decision that will shape the future of the franchise for the foreseeable future, and both camps seem to be keeping their cards pretty close to their chests.

The franchise tag has become one of the key factors in nearly every major negotiation between teams and their star players in recent memory. It appears it could have its most significant impact yet with a potential for Cousins to earn $44 million fully guaranteed in 2016 and 2017.