Cousins in D.C. ‘until the Lord tells me otherwise’
Redskins quarterback tells fans he’ll do everything he can to help the team win
During his appearance on a Washington sports-talk radio show on Tuesday, quarterback Kirk Cousins described feeling “at peace” about not making a counter-offer that might have led to a long-term deal with the Redskins before Monday’s deadline.
Instead, Cousins will play a second year under the team’s franchise-player tag and his future in Washington beyond the 2017 season remains very much in doubt. When Washington radio hosts Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier gave Cousins a chance to explain what he’d like fans to know about his side of the negotiation process, Cousins mentioned a factor he’s discussed before.
“What rarely ever gets reported is that, ultimately, this decision is not about anything more importantly than my faith,” Cousins said. “My faith is ultimately driving this decision. Do I feel like the Lord is leading me to make this decision or that decision, and where does he give me peace? I stood at rookie mini-camp shortly after being drafted and the questions I was receiving from media at that time were, ‘It’s a dead end, how do you feel about being here? It appears like your career is going to be put on pause now and there really isn’t any future for you here in Washington, can you speak to that?’
“My answer then is my answer now. I’m going to trust in the Lord’s plan for my life. He brought me to D.C. then, he had a plan for me. I didn’t know if it was going to be for football or something else, but he placed me in Washington, D.C. for a reason, I believe that with my whole heart, and as a result I was content to be patient, and allow time to reveal that and continue to just wait on the Lord. He has revealed that and he’s done far more in my five seasons here in Washington than I ever thought he would.”
Cousins sees a parallel between what people were saying about his future with the Redskins in 2012, when he was drafted three rounds after fellow quarterback Robert Griffin III, and what people are saying after Monday’s deadline passed with no long-term deal.
“And so here I sit and people are saying, ‘It appears to be a dead end after this year, what’s going to happen to Kirk?’ ” Cousins said. “I would say it’s the same answer. I’m trusting the Lord . ... I’m not leaving until He’s led me somewhere else. ”
Cousins reiterated that his decision to play this season on another one-year deal ultimately didn’t come down to money, and if it had, his agent would have submitted a counter-offer. Cousins had little incentive to agree to anything close to the Redskins’ initial offer of $53 million guaranteed, considering that’s only $29 million guaranteed on top of the nearly $24 million he’ll make under the franchise tag this season.
If the Redskins were to use the franchise tag on Cousins for a third consecutive year next offseason, something the quarterback didn’t rule out, he’d make $34 million in 2018. If Washington instead uses the transition tag, Cousins would stand to make $28 million. Cousins downplayed the idea that he has one foot out the door and that the 2017 season will be his last with the Redskins.
“After the season, there’s going to be a whole lot that can be discussed and a lot of time to process it,” Cousins said. “Not to mention, as I said earlier, I’m going to look to the Lord. I’m going to pray, I’m going to look for peace and see what the right decision is. I’m staying in Washington, D.C. until the Lord tells me otherwise.”
With training camp a week away, Cousins also shared a message for the fans.
“I’m giving everything I have to be successful and to help this team win this year,” Cousins said. “I’m committed to the team and to the guys in the locker-room, and to those fans that are paying hardearned money to watch us play. I’m going to do everything I can.”