PHILADELPHIA — Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins found out his grandmother died just before he got on the team bus Sunday to head to the airport for a Monday prime-time rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The death, Cousins said, was sudden and unexpected. Jean Cousins was 85. The two were close, with Cousins purchasing his famous conversion van from her. Cousins drives the van to and from practice.
In Monday’s 34-24 loss to the Eagles, Cousins threw for 303 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
He said the last 24 hours have been tough.
“I grew up 20 minutes from her and she was over, I saw her every week growing,” Cousins said. “… She was the grandmother that I stayed with in the offseason after my rookie year. We spent a lot of time together. So we take comfort knowing that because of the gospel, that she’s in heaven and we’ll get to see her again. We take a lot of peace knowing that.”
On Sunday, Cousins posted on Instagram a heartfelt message to his grandmother.
Despite his loss, Cousins said he couldn’t pull away from his responsibilities. He delivered another solid performance, posting a 110.7 passer rating — his fourth straight game with a rating over 100.
“It was a heavy heart going into the game,” Cousins said. “You also understand that we all have a job to do and all have challenges that we face. … In tough times you’ve gone through, you’ve got to get back and do your job. I’m no different.”
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said Cousins responded “great.”
“He played great. He was focused,” Gruden said. “He was into the game. It’s hard when you’re dealing with personal issues, but I thought he dealt with it a lot like a pro, like he does with everything else. I’m sorry to hear that.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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