National Football League

NFL Rumors: Do 49ers want Washington QB Kirk Cousins?

Updated Jan. 25, 2023 11:09 a.m. ET

Fansided, Patrick Schmidt/Fansided

Could Kyle Shanahan and Kirk Cousins reunite in San Francisco?

The San Francisco 49ers are poised to make Kyle Shanahan their new head coach and that move could also signal who their quarterback of the future may be. Shanahan is the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, who are one win away from the Super Bowl, but when the Falcons season is over, he’ll be the 49ers head coach, replacing Chip Kelly.

When Shanahan takes over, his first order of business could be targeting a long-term solution at quarterback and that could be Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.

According to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport, the 49ers could make a run at Cousins if Washington doesn’t franchise Cousins. Having to fork over two first round picks and a significant contract for Cousins would price San Francisco out of the market.

Making a run at Cousins though shouldn’t be a surprise considering Shanahan was reportedly instrumental in being drafted by Washington when he was the offensive coordinator from 2010-2013.

Cousins experienced the height of his success under Shanahan who has developed a reputation for getting the best out of quarterbacks in his career. He turned Ryan into a potential MVP and Super Bowl quarterback in Atlanta, Brian Hoyer had his best season under his watch with the Houston Texans and saw Cousins go from a backup to a 70 percent passer. And it’s easy to understand when you consider Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert are the best options on the roster.

The 49ers own the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and should be in a position to take the best quarterback in the draft from a group that includes Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson. However, none of those prospects may be worth taking as high as No. 2.

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Washington used the franchise tag on Cousins last year and could be inclined to do so again. A long-term deal is likely what they’d prefer but if they are unable to come to terms, the tag will be their fallback plan.