Commander Country

Commanders' Daron Payne Had Hilarious Reaction After Hitting Washington Ex Kirk Cousins

Washington Commanders defensive tackle had a viral reaction after knocking the wind out of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Tim Kelly

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Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne missed being teammates with quarterback Kirk Cousins by a season, but the two had an exchange during the 2022 season that felt like they were a pair of old friends. 

Cousins is one of three players profiled in the new Netflix series "Quarterback," which also followed Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Marcus Mariota, then with the Atlanta Falcons. In a clip from the show that has gone viral, Payne knocks the wind out of Cousins, and then proceeds to smack him on the backside and say "you'll be alright:"  

This play took place in the Nov. 6 tilt between the two teams last season at FedEx Field. While Payne had six combined tackles, two quarterback hits and a sack, it was Cousins and the Vikings who walked away with a 20-17 victory. It wasn't a particularly efficient game for Cousins, who completed 22 of 40 pass attempts for 265 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception. Nonetheless, the Vikings improved to 7-1 with the win, which dropped the Commanders to 4-5. 

Cousins is now preparing for his sixth season with the Vikings, the same amount of years he spent with Washington to begin his career. And because Washington used the franchise tag on Cousins in both 2016 and 2017, the four-time Pro Bowler is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. 

Say what you will about the limitations of teams led by Cousins, but the 34-year-old is one of the most successful business men to ever play in the league. Spotrac estimates that he's made more than $201 million in his first 11 seasons, and Cousins is slated to take home another $30 million in 2023 before he becomes a free agent. 

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Tim Kelly
TIM KELLY

Tim Kelly is a contributor to SI's team sites. Additionally, Kelly covers the Philadelphia Phillies as the Editorial Director for PhilliesNation.com. Previously, Kelly has been a producer at SportsRadio 94 WIP and a content producer for Audacy Sports, with written content syndicated to WIP, WFAN, WEEI and some of the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Kelly also has previously written for SportsTalkPhilly.com and Section 215, FanSided's Philadelphia affiliate. Kelly is a 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in political science. 

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