While neither team is in playoff contention, pride will still be on the line when the Denver Broncos travel to Washington this weekend to play against the Redskins. Both teams will be hoping to win this game in order to start building towards a more brighter future.

This weekend, Kirk Cousins will be under center for the Redskins, while the Broncos still haven't decided if it will be Brock Osweiler or Paxton Lynch starting at quarterback for them this Sunday. However, both teams could have different quarterbacks starting for them next season.

It appears John Elway and company will be looking for a new leader under center for Denver during the NFL offseason, while Washington may be forced to come to a decision over Cousins after franchise tagging him in back-to-back years.

Cousins will likely be on the move once the season concludes, and Denver could very well be his next destination in the league. It certainly looks as though the franchise is buttering him up for a possible move to the Broncos during the offseason.

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of his team's game this weekend against the Redskins, and he took the opportunity to heap praise on his opposition's quarterback.

Joseph said of Cousins, via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold: “I think he’s a special guy. Numberswise he’s top 10 in all the QB categories. Watch the guy play: He’s poised, he’s smart, he’s got a really strong arm; I wasn’t sure about that, but as I watch more tape, he can make every throw on the field. He’s a tough guy also. He’s been hit a lot this year … and he hasn’t blinked at all.’’

While Cousins' statistics have dropped this season from last in terms of passing attempts and passing yards, many would argue that he hasn't had the weapons to perform in 2017 as well as he did in 2016.

Still, with better weapons, Joseph is right in his evaluation of Cousins. He is a top 10 quarterback and deserves to be given a contract which pays that, which is something the Redskins have dodged doing for the past few seasons with franchise tags.

A move to the Broncos for Cousins during this upcoming offseason would fulfill the wishes of both Denver and Kirk, but the Redskins aren't going to let one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL leave and get nothing in return.