Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is going double-digits this season.
He might record double-digit touchdowns, or perhaps double-digit interceptions, but the one thing for certain that Cousins is getting is a double-digit jersey number.
The Falcons announced Cousins’s new number for the 2024 season, and it’s not No. 8.
It’s No. 18.
Atlanta Falcons QB
Kirk Cousins
No. 18 pic.twitter.com/LuD2ulR9yF
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 18, 2024
Cousins has worn No. 8 since his early playing days at Holland Christian High School in western Michigan and Michigan State. He was assigned No. 12 by Washington when he was drafted in 2012 and wore that for his first two NFL seasons. He reclaimed No. 8 in his third pro season after veteran quarterback Rex Grossman left the team. When Cousins signed his then-record-setting contract with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, he continued to sport No. 8, a number that Vikings fans have fondly associated with Cousins over the past six seasons.
Now, the four-time Pro Bowler will be making a fresh start in more ways than one. Heading into Year 13 of his pro career, Cousins makes the switch to No. 18 following speculation that he would acquire No. 8 from Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
During an introductory press conference last week, Cousins said he tried to convince Pitts to give up No. 8, even offering to make a charitable donation or pay Pitts for the number switch. Fresh off signing a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed, Cousins likely had money to spare.
In the end, though, Pitts holds onto the number he’s worn for the past three years in Atlanta, and Cousins is set to trot out for his first Falcons game with two digits on his back instead of one.
