NFL quarterback Cousins inks one-year offer from Redskins

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has signed a one-year, $19.95 million contract offer from the Washington Redskins.

The mammoth deal, which keeps Cousins in Washington for a season as the parties seek to work out a long-term contract, could see Cousins enter the offseason with the highest base salary in the NFL.

Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has the largest base salary for the 2016 season at $23.485 million, but is in talks with the club to renegotiate his six-year, $114 million contract inked in March of 2015.

"I'm told this is the final step in making it officially official," Cousins tweeted on Thursday, posting a picture of himself pen in hand. "I am back with the Redskins for 2016."

The deal comes two days after the Redskins made Cousins their "franchise" player, a tag that gives them more time to negotiate a deal with an impending free agent.

By getting the one-year deal done, the Redskins avoid the chance that Cousins would miss some off-season team training as negotiations continued.

Cousins claimed the Washington starting job ahead of Robert Griffin III in 2015, leading the team to the NFC East division title as he completed 379 passes for a total of 4,166 yards.