ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders faced a decision after the 2017 season: Pay quarterback Kirk Cousins above their desired price tag or start over at quarterback.
Cousins was not considered a top-10 quarterback at the time, but his contract would have placed him in an elite category. So the organization opted not to meet his requests.
As a result, they've spent the next five offseasons seeking his replacement. Some of the failures have been terrible luck because of injuries, others poor drafting. The group that started the search was fired after the 2019 season. The second group hasn't had any more success.
Since Cousins left, Washington has started 11 different quarterbacks and compiled a 24-41 record (0-1 in the postseason). Cousins, meanwhile, has missed one start since signing a fully guaranteed 3-year, $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018. Minnesota had gone 33-31-1 before this season since Cousins joined. But under new coach Kevin O'Connell, who spent one year as the quarterbacks coach in Washington with Cousins, the Vikings are 6-1 and comfortably leading the NFC North ahead of a clash with the Commanders on Sunday at FedEx Field (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
"Teams that are able to have a guy like Kirk at this point in his career, you feel lucky as a coach," O'Connell said. "To know that you can build an offense that a guy can thrive in."
Cousins represented a conundrum that teams often face: Hand over a big contract to a quarterback who was good, but not great, or try to replace them. His total QBR with Minnesota ranks 18th, but he's thrown the fifth-most touchdown passes and seventh-most passing yards in that span. The Vikings are 1-1 with him in the postseason.
"It's hard to find Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allens," former Washington coach Jay Gruden said. "It's not going to happen very often -- once every 20 years. So, if you get a guy like Kirk, who can run the show, be a good leader, he's tough, he's accurate, you ride with him."
Washington's organization was unanimous in not wanting to pay Cousins as much as he got from Minnesota, knowing it still needed to build around him. Gruden said the best solution, knowing it would be tough to re-sign him, was trading him so it would get more than a third-round compensatory pick.
"Huge mistake," he said.
Meanwhile, Washington has been on a quarterback quest that started under Gruden and has continued under coach Ron Rivera.
"It's tough," Gruden said. "It's why quarterbacks and great coaches usually work hand-in-hand. You've got to have the triggerman. If you don't have the triggerman you're going to struggle."
And Washington has struggled, indeed. Here's a look at the Commanders' quarterback search since Cousins left town.
2018: Big trade, part 1
The move: Washington sent a third-round pick plus corner Kendall Fuller to Kansas City for quarterback Alex Smith. It was agreed upon before free agency.
The result: Smith started 10 games before suffering a compound fracture of his right fibula and tibia.
The record: 7-9
Total quarterbacks started: 4 (Smith, Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, Josh Johnson).
Washington's first solution was a good one. Smith was coming off a year in which he was in the MVP discussion for part of the season, with 26 touchdown passes and five interceptions. In five years with the Chiefs he threw 102 touchdown passes with 33 interceptions. He never missed more than one game in a season and only four overall.
But a missed block in blitz protection led to him getting sacked, and that third-quarter play against the Houston Texans changed their season and his life. Washington was in first place in the NFC East but won only one more game that season. McCoy broke his leg two games later. Sanchez started one game before being benched and Johnson finished the season.
"Not getting anything for Kirk was a major turning point," Gruden said. "The second turning point was Alex getting hurt. We were pretty good. Colt breaks his leg and the season's over, not a lot you can do."
One current member of the organization said if Smith didn't get hurt, Gruden might still be the coach. Smith returned in the 2020 season, helping lead Washington to an NFC East title. During his tenure, Washington was 11-5 when he started and 6-26 with anyone else.
2019-20: The draft
The move: drafting Dwayne Haskins with the 15th overall selection in 2019.
The result: It did not work out.
The record: 3-13 in 2019; 7-9 in 2020
Total quarterbacks started: 6 (McCoy, Haskins and Case Keenum in 2019; Haskins, Kyle Allen, Smith and Taylor Heinicke in 2020).
Washington's staff gave Haskins a third-round grade before the draft. Some had initially given him a first-round mark, but after further evaluation the entire staff settled on the third. But, according to multiple sources at the time, on the day of the draft they were told by owner Dan Snyder to move him up their board. Once New York picked Daniel Jones at No. 6, and knowing the owner's affinity for him, they knew Haskins was headed their way.
While some were OK drafting him, they weren't crazy about using the 15th pick to do so, knowing he needed time to develop, sources said. After the draft, to a person, the organization said they wanted him to sit the whole year, learn and develop. But, as often happens in Washington, plans change.
Ahile McCoy's leg wasn't healing properly, Keenum became the opening game starter and struggled. Then when McCoy did play he was ineffective thanks to his still-strengthening leg. Gruden was fired after opening 0-5.
Haskins started seven games that season, producing his best games under former offensive coordinator O'Connell. In his final two starts -- losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants -- Haskins completed a combined 31-of-43 passes for 394 yards and four touchdown passes.
Those two games produced 62 points. Since that game, Washington has topped that total in consecutive games just once.
Washington hired Rivera after that season and Haskins started the first four games of 2020 before being benched. He was cut with one game left in the season.
2021: Veteran signing
The move: Washington signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million.
The result: He hurt his hip in the season opener and never played again.
The record: 7-10
Total quarterbacks started: 3 (Fitzpatrick, Heinicke, Garrett Gilbert)
Washington wanted Fitzpatrick to serve as a bridge quarterback until it could find a long-term solution. With him, the Commanders felt they could win nine or 10 games and, if it worked out, they could sign him for 2022 while grooming a young passer.
But those plans changed in the second quarter of the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Heinicke took over and, after a poor start, the team won four in a row to even its record at 6-6. Then, COVID issues and injuries decimated the roster.
Heinicke had to miss a crucial road game at Philadelphia because of COVID. And with Allen also sidelined for the same reason, Washington signed Gilbert off New England's practice squad and started him four days later.
2022: The Big Trade, part 2
The move: Washington swapped 2022 second-round picks with the Indianapolis Colts while also sending Indy a third-rounder last spring and a conditional third-rounder in 2023 for quarterback Carson Wentz. The latter converts to a second-round pick if Wentz plays 70% of the offensive snaps.
The result: Wentz started the first six games, but it was a rollercoaster. He threw a combined seven touchdown passes in the first two games, leading the Commanders to 55 points. But in the next four, he threw three touchdown passes and three interceptions and was sacked 17 times. He fractured the ring finger on his right hand and was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 22.
The record: 4-4
Total quarterbacks started: 2 (Wentz, Heinicke)
How this one turns out remains to be seen. But if Heinicke continues to play well, he'll likely hold onto the job until he doesn't -- and that means Washington would keep its second-round pick in the next draft. Heinicke has won seven of his last 10 starts, with two of the losses occurring during the COVID and injury issues last December.
Heinicke understands his role and didn't complain when Washington traded for Wentz. Nor did he think he could beat him out during camp, pointing to their respective salary cap hits: Wentz has a $28.3 million number; Heinicke is at $3.6 million.
"I understood it and I get it," Heinicke said of pursuing Wentz. "You're always looking for the next best guy in this league and that's the only way you get better."
Washington has been looking for a while. The question remains: Will that quest continue this offseason? This situation remains fluid.
"The truth of the matter is, it's hard," Rivera said. "That's what we're all looking for; people don't give up good quarterbacks easily. You hope to find that guy and when you get that guy, you want to keep him."