Cousins: 'Shame on me' if I base my life around money
As Kirk Cousins approaches the July 17 deadline to sign a long-term deal with the Washington Redskins, money could be the furthest thing from his mind.
The twice franchise-tagged passer spoke on Friday at his football camp about his faith, his contract, and how he makes life decisions, and Cousins said financial gain is not what drives him.
"I never want to play football thinking about money," Cousins told FOX 17. "I think that you get in trouble doing that. I put my confidence in the Lord, in my faith. If I'm gonna build my life (based) on money shame on me. That's not where I draw my security from, never should be. My parents didn't raise me that way.
"So I'm not gonna make it about money before franchise tags; I'm not gonna make it about money now. I'm gonna play, trust the Lord to provide and to protect and lead. And He'll do what he wants to do regardless of my desires or my plans. He's going to accomplish his purposes, I'm gonna trust him and put my security there and let that lead wherever it leads."
While money might not drive Cousins, he's guaranteed to earn a lot of it in 2016. Under the franchise tag, he's due to be paid $23,943,600 this year, the fifth-highest cash total in the league.
That figure, and the more than $30 million Cousins will earn in 2017 if franchise tagged again, are surely setting the floor in long-term contract talks with the Redskins.
- With h/t to The Washington Post