Kirk Cousins Says It's His '1st Choice' to Remain with Redskins for Long Term

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins said Tuesday that he desires to remain with the franchise long term.

When asked about his future, Cousins said the following, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB: "It has always been my first choice to be with the Redskins."           

Cousins and the Redskins failed to reach a long-term agreement prior to Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, meaning he will play under the franchise tag for the second consecutive year in 2017.

With regard to contract negotiations, Cousins said the Redskins wanted more time last year, while he is the one who wanted more time this year, per JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic.

While Cousins led the NFL in completion percentage and helped the Redskins win the NFC East title in 2015, there may have been some apprehension on Washington's part to give him a huge deal since he had only one successful season under his belt.

The 28-year-old's encore performance in 2016 was strong, though, as he threw for 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions en route to his first Pro Bowl.

In a video released on the Redskins' team website Monday (h/t ESPN.com's John Keim), team president Bruce Allen discussed the organization's attempts to sign Cousins to a long-term contract:

"Our goal was to sign [Kirk] to a long-term contract with the final objective of having him finish his career with the Redskins. On May 2, right after the draft, we made [Kirk] an offer that included the highest fully guaranteed amount upon signing for a quarterback in NFL history [$53 million] and guaranteed a total of $72 million for injury.

"The deal would have made him at least the second-highest-paid player by average per year in NFL history. But despite our repeated attempts, we have not received any offer from [Kirk's] agent this year. [Kirk] has made it clear that he prefers to play on a year-to-year basis. While we would have liked to work out a long-term contract before the season, we accept his decision."

Allen also appeared to call Cousins by the name "Kurt" rather than Kirk on multiple occasions, but Cousins downplayed the situation, per Breer: "I've been called Kurt my entire [life]. ... Doesn't matter. It is what it is. It's fine. Not a big deal."

Cousins opted against locking himself in, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Cousins is "open" to discussing a new deal after the season.

The 2012 fourth-round pick out of Michigan State will make nearly $24 million in 2017, which ranks fifth-highest in the NFL.

Washington will have the option to franchise him for a third and final time, place the transition tag on him, sign him to a long-term contract or allow him to test free agency after the 2017 campaign.