Washington Redskins QB Kirk Cousins learns of refuted trade 'demand' in shoe store

Kirk Cousins refuted a report stating that he asked for a trade when speaking with Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, saying that he was only trying to find out what the franchise's plans were for him.

The Redskins placed the franchise tag on the 28-year-old quarterback for the second consecutive season, and Cousins signed the $24 million tag last Friday. But reports indicated Cousins had asked Snyder to be dealt.

"I did inquire if there was any interest in trading me to get an understanding of their perspective," Cousins told ESPN's "Know Them From Adam" podcast with Adam Schefter. "The answer I got back was Mr. Snyder communicated his belief in me and desire for me to remain a Redskin."

Cousins said he first learned of the erroneous trade demands while shopping at a shoe store.

"I laughed and thought, 'I don't know where that comes from because that wasn't the case,'" Cousins told ESPN. "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 been linked in trade rumors to the San Francisco 49ers, who hired former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to be the team's new head coach. Cousins reportedly has a good relationship with Shanahan.

If Cousins is tagged again for a third straight season in 2018, he would be scheduled to make as much as $34.5 million (or $28 million on the transition tag).

He shared his thoughts on the NFL's current tagging process to Schefter.

"This entire process from a contractual standpoint has been framed by the franchise tag rules," Cousins said. "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."

Cousins threw for 4,917 yards with 25 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 97.2 rating last season. Cousins' 12,113 yards in five seasons with Washington ranks sixth on the franchise's all-time passing yards list.

He is 239 yards behind Billy Kilmer for fifth on the all-time list.