National Football League

‘No offense,’ but Kirk Cousins wants to avoid finishing his career like Shaq

Published Apr. 5, 2024 2:56 p.m. ET

Although he has yet to play a game with the Falcons, newly acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins wants to finish his playing career in Atlanta.

"I want this to be my final stop," Cousins told NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal on the latest edition of his podcast. "No offense, but I don't want to play for the [Phoenix] Suns and the [Boston] Celtics at the end. I want to go finish with the [Miami] Heat, if you will, and be done – you know?

"So, that's really my plan — is that I wouldn't play for another team. I'd finish with the Falcons."

Cousins' comments have made the rounds on social media, with some people wondering if the veteran signal-caller threw a dig at the NBA legend.

O'Neal, a 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992 before going on to win three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and one title with the Heat. The legendary big man then spent two seasons in Phoenix, and one season in both Cleveland and Boston before retiring from his illustrious career in 2011.

Cousins was drafted by Washington in 2012 and spent six seasons with the organization before another six-year tenure with Minnesota. The 35-year-old wants Atlanta to be his third and final stop, avoiding the trek that O'Neal experienced in the latter part of his career.

"My boys are 6 and 5, they won't remember that I played in Washington, they will barely remember I played for Minnesota," Cousins added. "They're going to remember I played for the Falcons, and I want those to be good memories.

"So, the start was good, but I want to finish really strong here in Atlanta and have my boys say yeah, ‘He may have played for Washington or Minnesota, but we remember him as a Falcon.’ I want fans to say the same thing."

In order for Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million deal with Atlanta this offseason, to achieve his goal of having a notable Falcons tenure, he will have to move past an Achilles injury that prematurely ended his 2023 season.

Cousins said that it's "hard to say a percentage" when asked about the status of his injury, but he explained that his biggest challenge is having mobility in the pocket. As a result, he has yet to perform at full capacity in live drills.

"I'm hoping [by] June I could get there, but obviously we have runway now until September," Cousins shared.

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