Falcons QB Kirk Cousins may enjoy his first treat in a while when he retires, but for now, sinful food isn’t on the Christmas table. The Atlanta Falcons sit at 6-9 and out of the playoffs for this season. During a press conference on Christmas Day, Kirk Cousins dropped some “naughty” hints about his retirement plans. It all started when reporters asked about his household’s Christmas menu.

“Christmas tends to be a Thanksgiving style meal. When I’m done playing, it’s going to get a little more naughty in terms of what I eat on Christmas,” said Cousins in the presser before Week 17. “I’ll get in on those when I’m retired, but until then, try to keep it relatively proper.”

Cousins, who stepped in as the backup-turned-starting quarterback, stays disciplined with “proper” food choices right up until retirement, and as he’s not hanging up his cleats just yet, those retirement feasts will have to wait.

Earlier this year, Cousins had already fielded plenty of questions about stepping away. Fans and media wondered if the 37-year-old signal-caller was nearing the end after 13 seasons. 

“I’ve gone back several years now. I’ve kind of always taken the approach of one year at a time because I know how much one year in this league can change the conversation,” Cousins said in May. “So, I just kind of go year-to-year, but sitting here after Year 13, I do still have a desire to play.”

At that time, Cousins pointed to legends like Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Drew Brees as inspiration. All three kept dominating into their 40s. The veteran Falcons QB seems to want to chase that same longevity on the field.

“It makes you wonder, ‘Huh, I wonder if I’ll be able to do that or if I want to do that,’” Cousins had added.

For a quarterback staring down retirement questions, Kirk Cousins’ 2025 season has been anything but quiet. Battling through lingering shoulder and elbow issues, the 37-year-old swung between rough outings and timely flashes, throwing for 1,415 yards with eight touchdowns while taking nine sacks (his fewest in the last few seasons of 15+ sacks). It has been a grind-heavy year that showed both the physical toll and the stubborn resolve of a veteran still refusing to step aside.

For now, Cousins isn’t planning to retire anytime soon, though he seems to have sinful plans for his retirement. He’s focused on the present grind. But looking ahead, the veteran quarterback does have some clear coaching aspirations brewing.

Kirk Cousins teases future coaching role

With Philip Rivers making a coaching comeback, unretirement talks have heated up across the league. Another fact that has become the talk of the town is that after his retirement, Rivers took the head coaching job at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama. During the same Week 17 presser, reporters turned to Cousins, asking if he’d consider a similar path once his playing days end.

“I don’t know that I’ll ever be like the head coach running the high school team,” Cousins said. “But I do think I’ll be helping out. Speaking into stuff as my boys are playing, because I’ll want to kind of help them and give them every opportunity. But we’ll see where it goes. I think we’ll play a lot of flag football for a while.”

Top Stories

NFL Makes Final Punishment Decision on Shedeur Sanders Incident in Week 17

Jerry Jones Finally Acknowledges the Dak Prescott Gamble Hasn’t Paid Off; Confirms Painful Changes Ahead for Cowboys

Chiefs Coach Abruptly Leaves Andy Reid’s Staff Amid Titans’ Rumored Interest in Matt Nagy

Jerry Jones Sends Strong Unretirement Message on Troy Aikman After Cowboys Legend’s New NFL Job

NFL Announces Double Punishment on Incidents Against Josh Allen’s Bills

Cousins shares two young sons, Cooper (8) and Turner (6), with his wife, Julie Hampton. Both boys are already showing a spark for football, tossing the ball around on social media. Cousins has made it clear he wants to keep playing long enough for them to cherish his career memories.

“I don’t think they quite understand it yet. But each year they take another step towards really playing a part of it, which has been fun for me,” Kirk said in the 2023 Quarterback series on Netflix. “I made it a goal to play long enough before I retire that my boys could really remember it and will have enjoyed being a part of it.”

For now, the 14-year veteran is sticking to his one-year-at-a-time mindset, evaluating his future after each season. As for the Falcons, they host the 11-4 Rams in the new year at Mercedes-Benz on Monday night, giving Cousins a shot to shine before the offseason rumors ramp up again.