Why Falcons QB Kirk Cousins wants to avoid a Shaquille O'Neal career ending

New Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins revealed on the latest episode of "The Big Podcast" hosted by NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal that he doesn't want to follow in O'Neal's footsteps when it comes to the last years of his playing career. 

"I want this to be my final stop," Cousins told O'Neal about his decision to sign with Atlanta, as shared by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. Cousins then mentioned how O'Neal featured for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics after the Hall of Famer earned four NBA Finals rings during stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. 

"I wanna finish with the Heat, if you will, and be done," Cousins directly said. 

Cousins played for the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders from 2012 through the 2017 season and had spent the past six campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran, who turns 36 years old this coming August, signed a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed to join the Falcons last month. 

"My boys are six and five," Cousins added during his chat with O'Neal. "They won't remember that I played in Washington. They will barely remember I played in Minnesota. They're gonna remember I played for the Falcons. And I want those to be good memories. So I feel like this is the stretch I wanna finish strong. People remember how you finish more than you start."

Cousins has earned four Pro Bowl nods during his career but also has recorded just one playoff win across four total postseason starts. It's unknown if he'll reclaim his best form coming off the season-ending torn Achilles he suffered on Oct. 29, but it's clear that injury isn't impacting expectations experts have for the 2024 Falcons ahead of the draft. 

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Cousins-led Falcons as the betting favorites at -130 odds to claim the NFC South division title for the upcoming season. The sportsbook listed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at +300 odds. 

The Buccaneers secured their third consecutive division title this past January and are telling just about anybody who will listen that they plan to use springtime predictions as bulletin board material for later this year.