3 reasons why we should be cheering for 3-way Romo-Cousins deal to happen
It seems unlikely, but boy, would it be fun.
With NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reporting that the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins could possibly work out a three-way trade involving Tony Romo and Kirk Cousins, league fans should be excited at the possibility of the unprecedented deal.
Having never seen a three-way trade involving two Pro Bowl starting quarterbacks before, it's very understandable for fans to be skeptical of this trade actually happening. Romo's questionable health and Cousins' questionable ability to play well without talent surrounding him also puts a damper on the chances, but let's ignore all that for now and think about how fun this potential deal-of-the-century could be.
Romo playing Dallas twice a year
Romo has been very gracious in his handing of the torch to Dak Prescott while he's still with the Cowboys, but a move to the rivaled Redskins could stir up a feeling of revenge or two.
Imagine seeing Romo, in a Washington jersey, lead a game-winning comeback drive against Dallas. Now imagine Jerry Jones' reaction.
With all the possibilities out there as to where Romo will play next, if the Cowboys were the ones to send him to Washington, only to be, perhaps, knocked out of the playoffs by their former quarterback, life would be good.
Cousins, Shanahan sticking it to Washington
Back in 2013, Shanahan and his head-coaching father, Mike, were fired by the Redskins after a 3-13 season that saw Cousins lose all three of his starts down the stretch. Shanahan went on to prove he was not the problem, helping the Falcons produce the league's highest-scoring offense just three seasons later.
Cousins has done everything asked of him by Washington over the last two years, but hasn't received the long-term contract offer he's been looking for. A trade to San Francisco would be a pretty direct message from the front office that, despite breaking team passing records, they don't think much of Cousins.
With the two Redskins castoffs leading the 49ers' resurgence, the 49ers' trip to Washington next season could be a huge stepping stone for Cousins, Shanahan, and San Francisco.
QB-for-QB trades becoming a thing
If this goes down and actually works out for the teams involved, the future trade possibilities could be incredible. All it takes is one quarterback-for-quarterback trade to work for the league's decision makers to play a game of copy cat.
Imagine Andy Dalton traded for Sam Bradford, or Trevor Siemian for Blake Bortles, or maybe even another Eli Manning for Philip Rivers deal. Oh, the possibilities.
We may be getting ahead of ourselves a little bit here, but the NFL is ever-changing in its strategies to improve rosters and performance, and a move like this could start the trend that finally sees teams make player-for-player trades.