Former Commanders head coach shares blunt message following Kirk Cousins' historic night

The Washington Commanders are finally on the right track at football's most important position. Jayden Daniels looks like a franchise quarterback — someone who could potentially develop into an elite NFL superstar if his incredible start is any indication. It's still early, but the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has a chance to solve a complex conundrum that originally stemmed from the team's mismanagement of Kirk Cousins' contract situation.

Cousins ​​was the franchise player in Washington despite being drafted much lower than Robert Griffin III. Giving him a long-term contract seemed like a foregone conclusion, but former owner Dan Snyder had other ideas. The organization ultimately gave him two straight franchise tags before allowing him to join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency in 2018.

This was incompetence at the highest level. Something that former head coach Jay Gruden emphasized even further given Cousins' historic performance for the Atlanta Falcons that secured him a dramatic overtime triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday Night Football. The signal-caller threw for a franchise-record 509 yards and four touchdowns, adding his name to an exclusive group that has reached this special milestone.

The compensatory third-round pick was eventually traded by Washington to the Buffalo Bills so they could sign tight end Dawson Knox. With the two picks the Powers received in the transaction, they took running back Bryce Love and offensive lineman Wes Martin.

Love was injury-prone after graduating from college and never played a regular season in Washington. Martin played in two different phases for three seasons, starting in ten games. Not exactly the best return for an up-and-coming quarterback who had his best years ahead of him.

This was just one of several disastrous decisions Washington made while the previous owner was in charge. What followed after Cousins ​​departed was a steady stream of failed quarterback moves, from erratic free-agent signings to mid-level draft picks to a disastrous trade for Carson Wentz that screwed up the team . It was no surprise that this caused the Commanders to fall into obscurity.

These were crucial mistakes that new general manager Adam Peters didn't want to make. He had the No. 2 pick and turned down some huge trade offers from elsewhere to move down. The commanders recognized their man and were convinced that Daniels was the man who could bring this storied organization back to glory. This, in turn, allows the front office leader to bolster other areas of the depth chart by utilizing a talented signal-caller on the rookie deal.

We're only a quarter of the way through Washington's regular season appearances in 2024. However, you can't look at Daniels' meteoric rise and historic start and think that the Commanders have nothing special on their hands. After years of miserable failure since Cousins ​​left, things are finally looking up again.

No one looks back with much affection unless fans look beyond the last two decades. It's time for this fan base to move forward with purpose and believe that with Daniels at the helm, the Commanders could make the long-awaited return to the top of the NFL.

If that happens, Washington's mishandling of the Cousins ​​contract will be a distant memory.

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