Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering his 13th NFL season at the age of 36. It's an age where most in his position have in-place their own strict lifestyle provisions.
Tom Brady had his signature avocado ice cream, and now Cousins may claim peeling burger buns as his signature rule. Cousins told GQ on Tuesday that he not only peals the buns off his burgers, but usually doesn't even eat them now.
"When I do have a burger, I'll peel the bun. I'll still hold the bun, but it is just to hold. I just eat everything else but the bun," Cousins said.
Cousins added that it was all in an effort to avoid gluten. Going gluten free has become one of the most widely-adopted dietary restrictions among aging NFL players and athletes as a whole in recent years as more research about the physical effects of gluten has been published.
Other prominent NFL quarterbacks who have cut out gluten include Brady and Drew Brees.
But Cousins takes it a step further and cuts out all grains altogether — a decision based on his specific blood chemistry.
"I've done some tests and blood work and while a lot of people are gluten-free, I've found it's not just gluten for me, but I need to cut out grains. That includes rice, corn, and things that my body doesn't respond well to," Cousins told GQ.
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The sudden lifestyle change was inspired by Cousins' experience dealing with a torn Achilles 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 in his career in 2022. But the injury all-but ended his six-year career with the Minnesota Vikings.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason, while the Vikings signed Sam Darnold in free agency and used their first-round draft pick in this year's draft to select J.J. McCarthy, who has already suffered his own season-ending injury with a torn meniscus in training camp.
But now, Cousins will look to be at his physical best for the Falcons amid potential competition at the quarterback position. Despite signing Cousins the the huge contract, the Falcons still used their first-round pick in this year's draft to select a quarterback too — Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins is tabbed as the starter to open the season, but with Penix on the roster, and an early 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.
So, he has turned a microscope over everything he eats to maximize his chances at avoiding another injury this year.
Cutting out gluten has been linked by some experts to helping certain individuals reduce inflammation. Inflammation makes muscle tissue less flexible, making tendons like the Achilles and meniscus or ACL, more rigid and breakable. Even if nothing tears, inflammation can still result in joint pain, stiffness and other problems.
As Cousins enters his late 30s, burger buns could be one of many sacrifices he must make to maintain his NFL relevance.
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