Chris Thompson: Redskins got ‘mixed messages’ on Kirk Cousins situation

Kirk Cousins has always maintained publicly that he wanted to remain with the Washington Redskins for life, but there were more than a few times when that was tough to believe. Some of his teammates may have felt that, too.

In an appearance on The Team 980’s “Cooley & Kevin” show this week, Redskins running back Chris Thompson shared some of his thoughts on the trade that brought Alex Smith to Washington. He said it surprised him but admitted that players really didn’t know if Cousins wanted to remain with the team or not.

“I think everybody got some mixed messages, I will say that,” Thompson said, as transcribed by Scott Allen of the Washington Post. “I know for me, talking to Kirk, being with Kirk, all we talked about was, you know, ‘C.T., with you staying healthy, we can do this with you, we can do that with you,’ and we were able to do a lot of the things that Kirk wanted to do with me. We wanted to continue this, so for me, I expected him to be here. …

“… I think everybody got a different feel about it, but I know Kirk enjoyed being with me and I enjoyed being with him, so I wanted him to be here and I think part of him wanted to be here, but at the end of the day, you gotta do whatever you think is best for you and your family.”

Thompson indicated that Cousins may have priced his way out of Washington, though he believes the 29-year-old is worth the money.

“I’m excited about Alex coming in and being here if everything stays the way that it’s supposed to be through March,” he said. “He’s an athletic guy. I hear he’s a really great guy, a good leader, too, so I’m just excited for the opportunity, and I know Kirk is going to go somewhere and get every single dollar he wants. I think he deserves it. He’s put up some great numbers year in and year out, so that’s what this league is all about, the numbers.”

For someone who supposedly wanted to finish his career with the Redskins, Cousins has not seemed all that bummed out about moving on. He probably feels like he was under-appreciated in Washington, especially since he had to play under the franchise tag for two consecutive seasons. The personal side is likely what Thompson and others saw and heard from Cousins, but the business side is a completely different animal.