Sam Howell has a new number. And it’s Kirk Cousins’s old number.
The new Vikings backup wore No. 7 at North Carolina. No. 14 with the Commanders, and No. 6 in Seattle. Those three numbers were taken in Minnesota.
So it’ll be No. 8 for Howell.
Cousins spent six years with the Vikings with two playoff appearances and one postseason win. That’s hardly enough to get his number set aside, much less retired.
The move should slam the door — if it wasn’t already closed — on the possibility of Cousins being traded to Minnesota. Then again, one injury can change everything. If the Vikings end up scrambling for a quarterback they way they were after Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the 2023 season, a return by Cousins wouldn’t be impossible.
If it happens, either Howell would have to give up No. 8 or Cousins would have to pick a new number.
That’s what Cousins did when he went to Atlanta, since tight end Kyle Pitts has No. 8. (Because a change would have been very expensive, given the league’s rules regarding unsold jerseys, Pitts didn’t give it up for his new quarterback.)
Cousins took No. 18 with the Falcons. Obviously, that would be off the table if he somehow comes back to Minnesota. One of these days, No. 18 will likely be retired for receiver Justin Jefferson.