Kirk Cousins said Monday that he would be content to remain with the Washington Redskins for the final year of his rookie contract, even while the team’s quarterback situation remains in flux.
Cousins stepped in as the starter after Robert Griffin III dislocated his ankle on Sept. 14, but he was benched in favor of Colt McCoy because of a high turnover rate during the Redskins’ eventual victory over Tennessee on Oct. 19.
That was the final appearance of the season for Cousins, who completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,710 yards and 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He played in six games for the Redskins, starting five.
“I’m happy here,” Cousins said. “If I’m the backup for my fourth year in Washington, then so be it. That’s God’s plan for me, and I’m gonna roll with it.”
Cousins had been holding a casual conversation with a small group of reporters Monday afternoon, discussing the specifics of their jobs and his offseason travel plans, when he was asked about his future in Washington.
He reiterated that he would like to have a chance to compete for a starting job — hopefully with the Redskins — and that being a backup yet again would be difficult to do. But, he said, he could look his situation as being only 16 games away from becoming a free agent, at which point he could pursue an opportunity to start elsewhere.
Once reported, his response to that question was dissected and taken out of context by a number of web sites, which took it to be a demand by Cousins to be traded at some point during the offseason.
At the insistence of a team spokesman, Cousins was later reached on a conference call, where he insisted that he wasn’t calling for a trade.
“I don’t demand anything,” Cousins said. “I’m under contract, and I want to honor that contract, if that’s what it comes to. I am focused on getting better. We all know I have a long ways to go. I have a lot of work to do. I had two awful quarters this year and threw nine interceptions, which is way too many. I’ve got plenty to work on to get better, and that’s the message I want out.”
Cousins also said he was interested in spending the offseason developing in coach Jay Gruden’s system, and that he believes he can improve upon his poor performance — specifically mentioning “two awful quarters this year” and the interceptions — with additional time.
“The reality is that for three years, I’ve been a great teammate, a great representative of the Redskins, and I want to continue to be that,” Cousins said. “I’m very happy to be here and content with being in the NFL and being a member of the Redskins.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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