The list of ways Dan Snyder messed up his ownership of Washington could fill a book. And it’s still growing.
Washington had an offer in 2017 to trade quarterback Kirk Cousins to the 49ers in a deal that included the No. 2 pick in the draft, according to former Washington coach Mike Shanahan.
Jay Gruden, Washington’s coach at the time, confirmed the account in an interview on 106.7 The Fan, as well as the reason it was nixed: Snyder’s apparent dislike for the Shanahans.
“[Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen] didn’t like the Shanahans and they didn’t want to give Kirk to them,” Gruden told the radio station.
Kyle Shanahan was going into his first year as the head coach of the 49ers at the time.
San Francisco did eventually trade the second overall pick, with the Bears sending the third overall pick, a third-rounder, fourth-founder and a 2018 third-rounder to the Niners so they could draft Mitch Trubusky, as the Niners picked Solomon Thomas third. (The 67th overall pick the Niners acquired in that deal, by the way, became Alvin Kamara, with the Saints trading for the pick later in the draft).
The Shanahans had a history with Cousins, as Mike and Kyle served as Washington’s head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, when the team drafted Cousins in 2012.
“I won’t say who contacted me, but I was contacted by someone over there who told me they were very interested,” Gruden said. “[Cousins] was getting ready to go on his second franchise tag, and I know they wanted him. The Shanahans love Kirk, and he loves them, and I don’t blame them. They brought him in here and taught him some good ball, and we were fortunate to keep Kirk and work with him.”
Washington eventually lost Cousins with no return except a conditional third-round pick, as he signed a three-year, $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent going into 2018.
That sent the team into a familiar spiral at the quarterback position from which they still have not quite emerged, though they hope Sam Howell can be the answer.
Gruden also lost his job following a 7-9 finish in 2018, when Alex Smith got hurt in Week 11 and Washington lost five of its last six games with the combination of Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez playing quarterback.
“It’s a shame,” Gruden said. “We had such a hot commodity, a young, talented player with a bright future ahead of him, and we got nothing for him.
“That’s the worst decision we made as a franchise. A conditional third-rounder? The way to handle that is to maximize your return.”
Snyder, though, could hold a grudge.
Even to the extreme detriment of his own franchise.
