Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins lets organization off the hook

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after teammate running back Rob Kelley #32 (not pictured) scores a fourth quarter touchdown against the Green Bay Packers at FedExField on November 20, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins celebrates after teammate running back Rob Kelley #32 (not pictured) scores a fourth quarter touchdown against the Green Bay Packers at FedExField on November 20, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Kirk Cousins was kind to the Washington Redskins after failing to reach a long-term deal, even if the organization didn’t wholly deserve it.

On the day after he failed to come to terms with the Washington Redskins on a long-term deal, Kirk Cousins joined the “Grant & Danny Show” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., to discuss the deal that didn’t happen. As usual, Cousins took the high road and actually made the Redskins and team president Bruce Allen look better than they deserved.

On more than one occasion, Cousins reiterated his desire to remain with the Redskins for the remainder of his career, per Dan Steinberg of Scott Allen of the D.C. Sports Bog:

"“When you look around the league and you see quarterbacks, great quarterbacks, they nearly all played for only one team. And the ones that haven’t, it really wasn’t their choice. It was usually the situation dictated that they had to move on, but that wasn’t their preference. So I’m not different. I would love to be with the Redskins long term and that’s why I think that there’s still a lot of hope that next offseason, when the season ends, the Redskins are going to have I think about two months to be the exclusive team that I can talk with.”"

Cousins would go on to repeat his desire to remain with the Redskins and said he trusts his faith to lead him. When Cousins was drafted in the fourth round by the Redskins in 2012, it was a tough situation. Washington had already mortgaged the future for Robert Griffin III in the same draft, yet Cousins has said time and time again he believed he was put in D.C. for a reason and wasn’t leaving until “the Lord tells [him] otherwise.”

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Sure, fans can hear Cousins and say he is giving typical polished answers to appease the fans and win the battle of public opinion. And perhaps part of that is true, but there is something genuine about Cousins that most athletes don’t possess. If Cousins did not want to be in Washington, he could evade the answer versus saying he didn’t wish to remain a Redskin. He has done it before. No, he continued to repeat his desire is to remain with the Redskins.

Remember Allen’s tersely read and poorly worded statement on Monday just after the deadline passed? According to Cousins, Allen told him over the weekend, while he visited him in Michigan that he was going to release something to inform the fans of the team’s side. Cousins had no issue with it. Of course, this is just Cousins being a nice guy. Allen went overboard with his statement, particularly by saying Cousins prefers to play on a year-to-year basis.

Why couldn’t Allen say that the front office worked hard to sign their quarterback, that they want him here for the remainder of his career and, at the end of the season, will work hard to ensure that happens and end the statement? That’s too difficult.

Regardless, Cousins, once again, let Allen and the Redskins off the hook. The quarterback could’ve said no comment, yet he went into detail about how he understood the business aspect of Allen’s message.

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Another big takeaway from Cousins’ interview was him saying no price would have gotten a deal done this offseason. And no, that’s not because he wants to leave Washington. According to Cousins, a lot of things have changed this offseason and he wants to see where things are progressing. He’s right.

Head coach Jay Gruden will be calling the plays, replacing his close confidant, Sean McVay. Also, Doug Williams is the team’s new pseudo general manager. The Redskins also lost some talented playmakers, and Cousins wants to see how things go with players like Terrelle Pryor and Josh Doctson.

Cousins has a strong relationship with Gruden and praised him effusively on Tuesday. However, he has only worked with his head coach as the play-caller for around five games, which was early in the 2015 season.

Overall, Washington fans should be optimistic after hearing Cousins on Tuesday. He passed on multiple opportunities to make his team look bad and no one would’ve blamed him. Now, it’s time to close the book on his contract talk until January.

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Then, perhaps, he and the Redskins can finally come together and get a deal done. Now, if only Washington’s brain trust could learn something from its quarterback.