Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins explains why he shouted 'How you like me now' to Redskins GM

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:59 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

After arguably his best performance of the season in which he powered the Washington Redskins to a season-high 42 points against the Packers on Sunday, it was understandable that Kirk Cousins would be emotional.

This is the same quarterback who famously shouted to a reporter “You like that!” last year after a stirring win and for some reason let out this sound after the Redskins’ Week 10 victory this season.

Cousins, who threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns against Green Bay, continued to turn heads with his postgame outbursts Sunday, when he emphatically asked Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan “How you like me now?”

Many believed Cousins was sending a not-too-subtle message to the Redskins front office after the team’s brass failed to sign the 28-year-old quarterback to a long-term deal, instead applying the franchise tag to him this season.

Cousins said that’s not the case at all, adding that it was just another moment of his emotions getting the best of him.

"No, there's nothing," Cousins said, via ESPN. "I was just excited coming off the field with emotion. I would prefer for that to happen with no cameras and no microphones. But I ran into him on the field where there were cameras and microphones. We're both competitors who want to win desperately and both feeling great in that moment.

"Scot has done a phenomenal job bringing in the right people ... that have made a big difference in the success of this team. A big reason we are where we are and part of the reason we enjoy being here is because of the team Scot assembled."

Cousins has helped the Redskins bounce back from their 0-2 start by playing his best football of the season as of late, throwing 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions in the past five games. He had a similar stretch in 2015, throwing 19 TDs and only two picks in Washington’s final eight games.

For now, Cousins is focusing on what he can control and not the talk of a possible lucrative long-term deal in the offseason.

"It's a positive thing they would say that, but at the same time, I know people are itching to say the opposite if I don't play well Thursday," Cousins said. "I'm always focused on the here and now."