Report: Jets called Redskins about Kirk Cousins after Geno Smith punched
The New York Jets had no idea Geno Smith would be out for when he was punched by then-teammate IK Enemkpali, so they made a call to the Washington Redskins about a quarterback.
No, not Robert Griffin III, who was then the team’s starter. Instead, the Jets inquired about the status of Kirk Cousins, who appeared to be stuck behind RG3 — this according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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Of course now, Cousins is starting and Griffin — who has been cleared medically after his preseason concussion — is now the Redskins’ third-string QB. We can assume that when the Jets and new general manager Mike Maccagnan rang up D.C., some time after the Aug. 11 punching incident, the seeds of doubt in Griffin already were starting to sew.
Cousins was named the Redskins’ starting QB exactly 20 days after Smith was punched by Enemkpali, for those keeping score at home.
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There’s an interesting irony to this story, too: Cousins might have been the quarterback for the Jets prior to that had the team landed its reported first head-coaching choice in Dan Quinn, who instead took the top job of the Atlanta Falcons. New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta reported a few weeks ago that Cousins was the quarterback that Kyle Shanahan, Quinn’s offensive coordinator in Atlanta (and who might have gone with him to the Jets), wanted instead of Smith.
Perhaps that put Cousins on the Jets’ radar. That plus the uncertainty of Smith and his health kickstarted a phone call that eventually led nowhere, but it’s one that provides an interesting backdrop as we get ready to launch the 2015 NFL season.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
