With the deadline to sign franchise-tagged players to multi-year deals a week away, Kirk Cousins weighed in about his contract status and said he’s letting his agent take care of things because he never wants to “play football thinking about money.”
It’s a variation on a theme that we’ve grown accustomed to hearing from Cousins over the last two offseasons as he’s maintained that he’s in a good place after the Redskins have used the tag twice without coming to terms on a longer deal. There have been no shortage of people suggesting that the team do more to make that deal happen given Cousins’ production and the lack of better options available to them.
It seems that Cousins’ former teammate Pierre Garçon is in that camp. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio Monday, the 49ers wide receiver said he has no idea why a deal hasn’t come together after watching Cousins “moving the ball up and down the field.”
“He’s been doing it for a long time,” Garçon said. “He is the guy that’s helped us make those playoff runs and do a lot of things great for us. I don’t know why he’s not the long-term answer there. But I’m happy we’re all getting those opportunities now and he’s showing his talents on the field. Kirk’s doing very well and his numbers are getting better and better. And he enjoys playing football. He works at it.”
Garçon moved to the 49ers as a free agent after Kyle Shanahan, who coached both players in Washington, became the team’s head coach. Some have wondered if Cousins would make the same trip should he hit unrestricted free agency after this season and Garçon was asked about that possibility, but opted not to share any thoughts on that aspect of Cousins’ future.