Kirk Cousins says he did not demand trade from Redskins
Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins says he did not demand a trade away from the team, but instead asked about the franchise's plans after having the franchise tag placed on him.
Cousins' future with the team has been a topic all offseason.
"I did inquire if there was any interest in trading me to get an understanding of their perspective," Cousins told ESPN's Adam Schefter on his "Know Them From Adam" podcast. "The answer I got back was Mr. Snyder communicated his belief in me and desire for me to remain a Redskin."
Cousins says he first heard about the trade rumors when an employee at a shoe store asked him about while he was out with his wife.
"I laughed and thought, 'I don't know where that comes from because that wasn't the case,'" Cousins said. "Somehow it got twisted to where an employee of the store is using the word demanded. That's not the approach I took."
Cousins has had the franchise tag placed on him in each of the past two seasons. In 2015, he made $19.953 million under the tag. This season, he is scheduled to be paid $23.94 million and is eligible to be traded because he signed the tender.
"This entire process from a contractual standpoint has been framed by the franchise tag rules," Cousins said on the podcast. "It hasn't been framed by my market value. I would be content to go to the market and see what the value is and settle for what that is. But because of the tag rules and the team's use of the tag, that just hasn't taken place. ... So until that system of the tag is removed from the equation or from the collective bargaining agreement altogether, that will frame the entirety of my agent's approach."
The 28-year-old Cousins completed 67% of his passes last season for a franchise record 4,917 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
- Scooby Axson
