Why a Kirk Cousins trade to the 49ers could happen sooner than later

Shanahan’s admiration for Cousins

Kirk Cousins’ first season in the NFL was back in 2012 when he was a member of the Washington Football Team. Cousins didn’t play much that year, but he was able to develop a friendly relationship with Washington’s offensive coordinator at the time, Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan and Cousins ended up working together for two seasons and their time spent with each other is something that both still look back on fondly.

Shanahan has been the head coach of the 49ers since 2017 and in 2018 it was revealed that his “master plan,” was to have Cousins eventually be his quarterback in San Francisco. However, the 49ers decided to make a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo midway through the 2017 season and Shanahan’s dreams of reuniting with Cousins had to be put on hold.

It’s very possible that San Francisco could finish the current season with a losing record for the third time in four years with Shanahan as the team’s head coach. His time to turn the franchise around could be running out very soon and a move like trading for Cousins could be something that he believes can quickly get the team going in the right direction.

Some might think a Shanahan wanting to acquire the Vikings quarterback is a laughable idea to try and get a team back on track. But the 49ers head coach has expressed his confidence in Cousins’ abilities in the past and perhaps he can be the one to bring out the best in the current Minnesota passer.