The Atlanta Falcons have their new quarterback in Kirk Cousins, and Kirk Cousins will be wearing a new number with his new team. On Monday, the Falcons announced that Cousins would be wearing No. 18 in 2024.
There was some speculation Cousins would pay tight end Kyle Pitts for his No. 8 jersey number, which Cousins wore with the Minnesota Vikings, but ultimately, the quarterback's moving on to a new one. The veteran quarterback explained to The Big Podcast hosted by Shaquille O'Neal that both he and Pitts were on board with making the swap since Pitts wanted to change his number, the but league stepped in and told them they'd need to buy out the remaining stock of the tight end's jerseys, which would have cost them a hefty amount of money.
"So he wanted to switch numbers anyways so it was like a perfect fit," Cousins said. "He's like 'I want to switch numbers. You want No. 8. This is perfect.' ... And then the league spoke into it and they're like, 'Well, Kyle Pitts has a lot of jerseys that are No. 8 with Pitts on the back. You would have to buy every single one.'"
When asked how big the check would've been, Cousins said "it was several hundred thousand" dollars.
Cousins wore No. 8 during his time at Michigan State and with the Vikings. He also wore No. 8 with Washington, though donned No. 12 in his first two seasons with the franchise that drafted him in the fourth round back in 2012.
Atlanta Falcons QB
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 18, 2024
Kirk Cousins
No. 18 pic.twitter.com/LuD2ulR9yF
Cousins signed a four-year deal worth $180 million with Atlanta, which includes a $50 million signing bonus. He tore his Achilles last season during a Week 8 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. From Weeks 1-8, he ranked top five in the NFL in completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Cousins is just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 25 touchdowns in eight straight seasons -- a streak that was snapped in 2023 due to his injury.
Cousins, who turns 36 in August, owns a 76-67-2 record as a starter and has made four Pro Bowls over the course of his career. His 39,471 passing yards rank No. 24 all time, while his 270 passing touchdowns rank No. 20.
