Kirk Cousins found out about trade demand rumor from guy who was fitting his wife for shoes

When reports surfaced last week that Kirk Cousins had demanded Washington trade him, that was news to Cousins. On Tuesday, Cousins said on Adam Schefter’s Know Them From Adam podcast that he found out about the rumor that he had demanded to be traded from a shoe store employee.

“I’m at a shoe store later that day, after Chris Mortensen reported that, and the guy fitting my wife for shoes says, ‘I heard you demanded a trade,’” Cousins said. “And I laughed, and I thought, ‘I don’t know where that comes from,’ because that just wasn’t the case, you know?”

After being hit with the franchise tag for a second consecutive season, Cousins wondered if a trade from Washington might be in the cards. Rather than demanding a trade, Cousins said he simply discussed the possibility of a trade with owner Dan Snyder and team president Bruce Allen.

“I did inquire just to Mr. Snyder and to Bruce Allen if there was any interest in trading me, just try to get an understanding of their perspective,” Cousins said. “And the answer I got back was, Mr. Snyder communicated his belief in me and his desire for me to remain (in Washington) and his desire to help me by surrounding the quarterback position with all the players and coaches that you need to succeed.”

He still isn’t sure where the idea that he was demanding to be traded came from.

“I just called them and asked where their perspective was and where they were coming from, and I just wanted to communicate,” Cousins said. “And so that’s kind of where that went, and somehow it can get twisted to where an employee at a store is using the word ‘demand.’ But that’s certainly not the approach that I took.”

Cousins has been linked to the San Francisco 49ers based on his relationship with new head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan was Cousins’ offensive coordinator in Washington in 2012 and 2013, and the Niners need a quarterback, but at this point, Washington isn’t willing to deal Cousins.

After talking through the situation with Snyder and Allen, Cousins said he is satisfied with the team’s plans for him and he expects to remain in Washington.

“I felt very much supported and felt the owner and president of the team want me to be the quarterback there and to be the quarterback there for a long time,” Cousins said.

It’s been a dramatic week for Washington, with the Cousins trade rumors circulating along with the team’s decision to fire general manager Scot McCloughan. Cousins has also lost two of his top receivers, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, to free agency. Still, with the addition of Terrelle Pryor and the rest of the offensive talent around him, Cousins said he’s “excited” about the future of the team.