Chris Cooley wanted case of beer negotiated into his contract

Chris Cooley is a favorite among Washington Redskins fans, and stories like this make it easy to see why.

Cooley was released by the Skins in August, and he was so loyal to the team he refused to sign a contract anywhere else. His patience paid off when Washington’s starting tight end, Fred Davis, was lost for the season with an Achilles’ injury. The Redskins re-signed Cooley this week, and the ninth-year veteran tight end says he tried negotiating a case of beer into his latest contract.

“Literally, I have text correspondence trying to negotiate a case of beer into my contract. They wouldn’t do it. I wanted it in writing so much,” Cooley told our friends The Sports Junkies on 106.7 FM in Washington D.C. (via Sarah Kogod at The Washington Post).

Cooley also admitted to The Junkies that his play last season wasn’t up to par, and he says it was because of his knee injury.

“I wasn’t putting out what I knew I could put out,” he said of his play last season and in camp. “I was a piece of crap last year. It wasn’t my fault, but I looked like garbage on film. I couldn’t move — I was draining fluid out of my knee every week.”

Cooley eight catches for 65 yards last season, and failed to score a touchdown for the first time in his career. He did not look good last season, but he says now that he hasn’t lost a step.

The Redskins say Cooley will share action with Logan Paulsen and Niles Paul, so it may take some time before he’s able to show us what he has left.

Between this great comment and what he said about Tony Romo last year, Cooley is one funny guy. He’s going to have a heck of a career in sports media when he’s done playing football.

Helmet smack to Pro Football Talk