Campbell: I want to stay with Redskins

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By Ryan O'Halloran

Knowing full well his on-field actions and not off-field words will determine his future as the Washington Redskins' quarterback, Jason Campbell nonetheless remains unequivocal in his desire to stay with the franchise that drafted him four years ago.

But do the Redskins, despite their purported pursuit of Denver's Jay Cutler and the fact they are working out Southern California's Mark Sanchez, want Campbell?

"That's up to them," he said after a workout Tuesday at Redskin Park. "I definitely want to stay here. I like the D.C. area, and I like the fan support. I do think we're a team that can win in the near future, and I do think we're a team whose turn it will be to rip off wins year after year after year.

"Hopefully I can do things so they can know I'm their guy and I can take us where they want to go. I would like to get to the point where I know they really trust me."

Campbell, 16-20 since taking over the starting job in November 2006, enters the final season of his five-year contract with a salary cap number of $3.89 million. Unlike many other teams, the Redskins have adopted a wait-and-see attitude instead of locking up their young passer.

Campbell will be an unrestricted free agent in 2011, but if the owners and NFL Players Association don't extend the current collective bargaining agreement, he will be a restricted free agent (players will need six years of service to be unrestricted) and the Redskins could match any contract offer.

"I don't have a new contract, but I can't worry about it," he said. "I'll let my agent [Joel Segal] and the media worry about it. The only thing I can do is prepare to have my best season."

Even teams with established quarterbacks work out prospects, so Campbell shouldn't be alarmed that Sanchez is coming to town. And Campbell brushed off any concern about the Cutler rumors, which the Redskins denied.

"I smiled about it and said, 'Here we go again,' " Campbell said. "It went over my head. It's March, and people want things to talk about. Everybody's into the quarterback and anything that's going on with him.

"I felt like I had good numbers last year," Campbell added. "We weren't a straight-up passing team - they passed more in Denver. In the first half, when our guys were healthy, we were rolling, and the only thing stopping us was us. A lot of things unfolded in the second that didn't go our way. I feel I can be a top quarterback in the league, so that talk didn't bother me at all."