Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering his 13th NFL season at age 36. That’s an age when most people in his position have their own strict lifestyle rules in place.
Tom Brady had his avocado ice cream, and Cousins can now claim peeling the buns off his burgers as his rule of thumb. Cousins told GQ on Tuesday that he not only peels the buns off his burgers, he doesn’t even eat them anymore.
“When I eat a hamburger, I take the bun off. I still hold it, but it’s just to hold it. I eat everything else except the bun,” Cousins said.
Cousins added that it was all about avoiding gluten. The gluten-free diet has become one of the most widely adopted dietary restrictions among NFL players and aging athletes in recent years as more research has emerged on the physical effects of gluten.
Other prominent NFL quarterbacks who have eliminated gluten include Brady and Drew Brees.
But Cousins goes even further and cuts out all grains altogether, a decision based on his specific blood composition.
“I did some tests and blood work and even though a lot of people are gluten-free, I found out that it wasn’t just gluten that was affecting me, but I also needed to eliminate grains. That includes rice, corn and foods that my body doesn’t react well to,” Cousins told GQ.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins #18 passes the ball during OTA offseason practices at the Atlanta Falcons practice facility on May 14, 2024 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The sudden lifestyle change was inspired by Cousins’ experience dealing with a torn Achilles tendon he suffered last season on Oct. 29 in a win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Cousins was coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2022. But the injury ended his six-year career with the Minnesota Vikings.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, while the Vikings signed Sam Darnold in free agency and used their first-round pick in this year’s draft to select JJ McCarthy, who already suffered his own season-ending injury with a torn meniscus in training camp.
But Cousins will now look to be in peak physical shape for the Falcons, facing potential competition at quarterback. Despite signing Cousins to a massive contract, the Falcons still used their first-round pick in this year’s draft to also select a quarterback — Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Kirk Cousins #18 and Michael Penix Jr. #9 look on during OTA offseason workouts at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility on May 14, 2024 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Cousins is considered the starter to open the season, but with Penix on the roster and a first-round quarterback salary of $22.8 million with a signing bonus of $13.4 million over the next four years, Cousins will be under the microscope.
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So he put everything he eats under a microscope to maximize his chances of avoiding another injury this year.
Some experts have found that eliminating gluten can help some people reduce inflammation. Inflammation makes muscle tissue less flexible, which makes tendons like the Achilles tendon and meniscus or ACL stiffer and more brittle. Even if nothing tears, inflammation can still lead to joint pain, stiffness, and other problems.
As Cousins approaches his 30s, hamburger buns may be one of the many sacrifices he must make to maintain his NFL relevance.
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