Kirk Cousins has a great trick for remembering the names of reporters

Dealing with the local media is a big part of any NFL quarterback's job, and no one does it better than Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins.

According to Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post, Cousins is one of the league's easiest players to cover. He answers questions with courtesy and professionalism, and he almost always addresses reporters by their first names.

Cousins' approach contrasts sharply with that of Carolina Panthers signal caller Cam Newton.

When Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue asked Newton a question about wide receiver Devin Funchess earlier this week, the Georgia native responded by saying it was "funny to hear a female talk about routes." In a subsequent conversation with Rodrigue, Newton admitted he did not know her name, even after a full year of seeing her in the media room.

Cousins prefers to get more familiar with the local media, but he doesn't accomplish that through press conference exchanges alone. Instead, the Michigan State product has a piece of paper in his locker that features headshots of numerous reporters, helping him to remember their names over the course of the long season.

"You media people will be happy to see I've got your names and faces here on a printout," Cousins said in an installment of WUSA's "9 Cribs," which tours the locker of a different Redskins player each week. "So I can hopefully remember all your names as you guys change from year to year."

While some members of the Washington media might be disappointed to learn that Cousins needs a cheat sheet to remember who they are, it's a better alternative to not knowing at all. The studying makes sense given Cousins' reputation for diligence in preparing for games.

While Newton has already lost a sponsor due to his sexist remarks, he also took some heat for not knowing the name of Rodrigue, a relatively prominent local beat reporter. The 28 year old will need to be on his best behavior going forward, and that could include taking a page out of Cousins' book.

Redskins fans, meanwhile, don't have to worry about that particular kind of quarterback controversy when it comes to their starter. The team is on bye this week and will resume its season on Sunday, October 15 against the San Francisco 49ers.