Kirk Cousins says he never demanded a trade to owner Dan Snyder but rather inquired what the team planned to do after placing the franchise tag on him.

Cousins told Adam Schefter on his Know Them From Adam podcast that his only reason for reaching out to Snyder, as well as team president Bruce Allen, was to gauge their intentions.

"I did inquire if there was any interest in trading me to get an understanding of their perspective," Cousins said. "The answer I got back was Mr. Snyder communicated his belief in me and desire for me to remain (with Washington)."

Cousins said the first he heard of his trade demands was when a shoe store employee related Chris Mortensen's report to him while fitting his wife for shoes.

"I laughed and thought, 'I don't know where that comes from because that wasn't the case,'" Cousins told Schefter. "Somehow it got twisted to where an employee of the store is using the word 'demanded.' That's not the approach I took."

Cousins signed his franchise tender Friday, thereby guaranteeing a $24 million payday this season.