Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins likely to start for Falcons on anniversary of famous moment

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 9:52 AM ET

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is in line to start a game for the first time since midway through the 2024 season, and the veteran will do so on a very fitting day.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Cousins is "highly likely" to start in Atlanta's Week 8 game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Michael Penix Jr. suffered a bone bruise in his knee in last week's 20-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and is still recovering.

Schefter also noted that Saturday marked the 10-year anniversary of Cousins' famous "you like that?!" postgame moment when he was the starting quarterback in Washington.

Kirk Cousins delivered a legendary performance

Cousins led Washington to a 31-30 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 25, 2015, after his team trailed 24-0 at halftime. He was understandably ecstatic following the game, and the way he expressed his emotions became a rallying cry for Washington.

Cousins hurried into the locker room and shouted "you like that?!" at the media.

It’s only fitting that Kirk Cousins is now Sunday’s expected starter vs. the Dolphins. Today is the 10-year anniversary of Washington’s 31-30 win over Tampa Bay and Cousins’ post-game quote that always will be associated with him: “You like that?!” pic.twitter.com/vrpa9AFLfl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2025

The game will easily go down as one of the best of Cousins' career. He completed 33-of-40 passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while leading a remarkable comeback.

Kirk Cousins has plenty to prove

Cousins signed a four-year, $180M contract with the Falcons prior to last season. The team then made the stunning decision to draft Penix in the first round, and Cousins was benched late in the season in favor of the then-rookie QB.

The Falcons began the year 6-3 with Cousins as their starter, but the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback struggled with turnovers. Cousins finished the season with 3,508 passing yards, 18 touchdown passes and a career-worst 16 interceptions. Penix was named the team's starter in Week 16, and the Falcons have been committed to the former Washington star since.

If Cousins plays well against Miami, he could potentially generate interest from other teams ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. This may be the 37-year-old's last chance to prove he is still capable of playing at a high level.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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