Breaking: Allison Kuch and Isaac Rochell Reveal Reality of ‘New Phase of Life’ as NFL Player Considers Retirement (Exclusive)…… Read More

The couple opens up to PEOPLE exclusively about navigating Rochell’s free agency and being parents to 11-month-old daughter Scottie

Allison Kuch and Isaac Rochell have been together for almost 11 years, with each year revolving around football — until now.

The 29-year-old defensive end was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 after playing at the University of Notre Dame, where he and Kuch, who attended Michigan State University, first crossed paths at a house party.

On Dec. 18, 2020, the couple, who’ve both developed big platforms on social media, secretly eloped and a year later, in April 2021, they held an official wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Throughout their relationship, Rochell played for the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders before entering free agency in November 2023.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the couple, now parents to 11-month-old daughter Scottie Bee, explains how their lives have changed since Rochell was released by the Raiders last year.

“It’s been difficult navigating this new phase of life while remaining optimistic and ready for the possibility of getting a call,” Rochell says. “For us, it’s about taking advantage of the time. If someone told me, ‘Hey, you’re not going to be signed,’ the worst-case scenario would be getting to spend a lot of time with her. We’re learning every day. I don’t have a perfect answer; it really is day-to-day. How can we learn to be present and enjoy today?”

Kuch, also 29, adds that negativity and outside opinions on social media have been the hardest part of free agency for her. “If you look at Isaac’s career, he’s had a very successful run in the NFL,” she tells PEOPLE. “There are obviously ups and downs in a professional athlete’s career, but after seven years, we can both look back and think, ‘Wow, that’s been great.'”

“We know that seven years in the NFL is very rare, and we are aware that retirement is on the horizon,” she continues. “However, when I share that free agency is hard, I often face opinions like, ‘Oh, he’s done. Just get over it.’ People don’t understand… our entire relationship has revolved around football.”

“I also think we’re getting a glimpse of what life after football could look like, and that’s a positive thing, too,” she notes.

When asked about Rochell’s possible retirement, the couple mentions it’s a conversation they’ve been having. However, it is a difficult topic for them, especially given Rochell’s health. Throughout his seven years in the NFL, he has never had any surgeries or missed a game due to injury.

“I’ve been super fortunate,” Rochell says. “So that brings up the question: ‘Does that matter? Do you want to walk away feeling good?’ That’s the only conversation I’ve had about it. But other than that, I love competing. The itch to play has gone nowhere.”

“It’s funny that even after seven years, he still feels like that’s not enough. He wants to keep going,” Kuch adds

Since entering free agency, the couple has focused on their family, including raising their daughter renovating their house in California and building their lives as content creators. They explain that they haven’t lived in the same place for more than eight months, so they are excited to finally have a place to call home.

Kuch says they’ve designed the house to suit their lifestyle, which includes hosting and having outdoor space. “We’re just excited to wake up in the morning and hang out as a family, make coffee, and cook pancakes in the kitchen that we designed. Honestly, it’s been a pretty smooth process, aside from the waiting game.”

“It’s not a massive house,” Rochell adds. “It’s a reasonably sized home, so we really had to take advantage of every single square inch. California houses aren’t that big, but we really wanted to create an indoor-outdoor vibe. We live in California; we’re an active family with dogs and our daughter, who will be running around by the time we move in.

Kuch shares one of her favorite parts of the house is an outdoor shed that they’re turning into their daughter’s playroom. “Honestly, it looks like a mini house, and I’m really excited for her to have friends over and create so many memories in there,” she says.

In October, the couple also took Scottie to her first NFL game, a Thursday night matchup of the Seahawks and 49ers in Seattle, W.A. During the game, they noticed their daughter clap for the first time after seeing the fans around her clapping.

“I feel like being a parent is such a huge learning curve,” she says. “I think more recently, accepting help has been a huge learning curve because I think there’s such a negative connotation when it comes to moms in particular.”

“I don’t know why, but I think accepting help in and around their kids is difficult for some parents, and Isaac and I have done it all alone up until this point. We don’t have family near us. We don’t have a ton of friends near us, and I think more recently we’re like, okay, we’re kind of drowning and accepting help. And I think that there’s such a negative perspective of that, and I think breaking that barrier is really important.”

While much of their future is uncertain when it comes to football, they are both sure about one thing: they want to expand their family. A few months ago, Rochell would have said no to having more kids soon, but now that their daughter is almost a year old, he sees it happening.

I have the itch,” he says.

“I definitely want siblings somewhat close in age just because I had that, and I really loved it,” Kuch says. “I still hang out with my siblings to this day and call them all the time for their advice. So I definitely see that in our future. Now, is the future near? I don’t know.”

“But hopefully, we’re blessed enough to have another child, however many more, I don’t know,” she continues. “You learn a lot with the first one, and I think Scottie will be the cutest big sister.”