For the Washington Redskins’ receiving corps, the 2016 season either has the makings of a disaster or a thing of beauty. Either way, the stakes couldn’t be much higher for Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, both 29 and entering their ninth NFL seasons.

Both enter the season with lengthy résumés — and neither is under contract for next year. A strong campaign will go a long way to guaranteeing each of them at least one more sizable contract.

There are only so many catches to go around, and quarterback Kirk Cousins has no shortage of options. Cousins thrives in the midrange passing game, while Jackson makes his living burning cornerbacks on deep routes. The system calls for Garcon to run a lot of intermediate routes, but tight end Jordan Reed emerged as a favorite target for Cousins last season because of the mismatches he creates with his size and speed. Slot receiver Jamison Crowder also racked up 59 catches in his rookie season, eating into the veteran’s targets.

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Cousins led the league in completion percentage, his 4,166 passing yards ranked 10th in the NFL and his 29 touchdowns tied for 12th. Yet a somewhat common sight last season included Garcon and Jackson both wide open and overlooked at the end of a play — some successful, some failed. They would throw up their hands in frustration, then trudge back to the huddle or to the sideline, trying to regain their composure. In the minds of Jackson and Garcon — as is the case with most wide receivers — the quarterback can never target them enough.

Coach Jay Gruden is keenly aware of the receivers’ concerns.

“It’s one of the greatest challenges an offensive coordinator has,” Gruden said. “Trying to keep everybody happy. . . . Even [offensive tackle] Trent Williams is asking for balls.”

Time will tell whether the situation pushes one or both receivers to the boiling point or fuels them to dynamic years. But the Redskins say they expect the latter.

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While Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay work to ensure Cousins distributes the ball judiciously, wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard — an NFL receiver for 12 years and now entering his sixth season as an NFL coach — draws the task of making sure Garcon and Jackson maintain that crucial balance of motivation and professionalism.

“When you have two high-profile guys, guys of their caliber, there could be some tension in the room,” Hilliard said. “But not with them. They both go out, compete, try to put as much good stuff on tape. The play on tape speaks for itself. They’ve got different personalities: guy from Florida, guy from California. They both have their own identity in that regard.”

Garcon is a laid-back Florida native of Haitian decent, more comfortable flying under the radar off the field, dabbling in various business ventures and charitable work both in the D.C. area and Haiti. A sixth-round pick out of Division III’s Mount Union College, he caught on with the Indianapolis Colts through special teams play and learned from Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning. He then flourished in a larger role after signing with Washington in 2012.

Jackson, meanwhile, hails from Long Beach, Calif., and embraces the glitz and glam of Hollywood. A prep all-American and heavily recruited, Jackson starred at Cal before Philadelphia drafted him in the second round. He used his blazing speed to become a sensational return man and receiver.

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Teammates and coaches suspect Jackson and Garcon’s off-field differences actually make it easier for them to co-exist. Their games complement each other — Garcon is a physical, move-the-chains type and Jackson a speedy deep-ball threat. Additionally, a similar in-season approach and competitive fire also bridge the gap.

“They come out and get the job done,” Crowder said. “They work hard. DeSean and Pierre are both work-hard guys I look up to because of all the experience they have. . . . They’re more lead by example. In [the meeting room], I had to choose, I’d say Pierre is more vocal. They both set high standards, though, for the room as far as doing things right and making plays on the field.”

Neither shies away from making his voice heard if Cousins misses a big play opportunity. Whether it’s a game or even an offseason practice, they let him know.

Back in June during the mandatory minicamp, after Cousins checked down to Reed, Jackson and Garcon both first vented to Hilliard on the sideline about the poor judgment Cousins had displayed on that play. Each saw himself as the proper option. Hilliard chuckled. Unsatisfied with that response, they made their way to Cousins to point out the error of his ways.

Garcon sheepishly grinned and laughed when asked about voicing displeasure over a lack of targets.

“It’s never demanding the ball,” he said. “It’s more like, ‘This is what they’re doing because they might do it again, so be prepared.’ It’s just little stuff. I’ve never gone in there and tried to demand the ball because he has a lot of stuff he has to be looking at. So it’s more of a technique conversation than just, ‘Throw me the ball.’ ”

Cousins does, however, have some control over where the ball goes. And he knows what’s at stake for each of them.

“It’s well understood. They don’t need to say it to me because I’m fully aware and I love seeing guys get paid and love seeing guys have success,” Cousins said. “I said to guys in college that I played with as they were going into their senior years that I would take great pride in them having NFL careers someday, and it’s a point of emphasis that I would play well enough as a college player to get them the ball enough to be noticed in the NFL. The same would be true with teammates now.”