The Washington Redskins trading for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen makes perfect sense from an on-field perspective.
But an off-field angle might be just as important.
Stuck with Alex Smith’s massive contract, the Redskins — like most teams — don’t have the money to pursue a second potential franchise quarterback.
Except Rosen is as affordable as it gets, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:
Arizona paid Rosen a signing bonus of $10.878 million and a 2018 base salary of $480,000, leaving only $6.239 million to be paid out over the next three years. Come 2022, Rosen’s fifth-year option would become the quarterback transition-tag number for 2021, since he was a top-10 pick. By 2021, however, Smith’s $31 million in remaining injury guarantees will have exited the books.
Again, much of the conversation will center on Rosen the player.
But the fact Rosen is affordable over the next three or more seasons is a huge ordeal given the circumstances surrounding the Redskins.
Already boasting a roster capable of propping up a developing passer, the financial side of things means the Redskins shouldn’t blink at a high asking price is the Cardinals want to deal Rosen.
