Falcons QB Kirk Cousins says it would cost him ‘several hundred thousand’ to wear No. 8 jersey

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has set the record straight on why he will not wear the No. 8 jersey this year. On The Big Podcast with Shaq, Cousins was asked about swapping jersey numbers with tight end Kyle Pitts, who wears No. 8. Cousins and Pitts were open to switching, but they would have to pay a hefty price.

“So he wanted to switch numbers anyways. It was like a perfect fit… And then the league spoke into it,” Cousins said. “They’re like, ‘Well, Kyle Pitts has a lot of jerseys that are number 8 with ‘Pitts’ on the back. You would have to buy every single one.’ Both of us would have to just write the check.

“And I was like, ‘Well, what is it?’ It was a big number. And I was like, ‘I don’t want to write that check. I’m good.’ It was several $100,000. So I was like, ‘I’m good with 18 and Kyle’s like I’m good with 8.’ So we’re going with 8 and 18.”

This will be the first time Cousins has not worn either No. 8 or No. 12. When he began his NFL career in 2012, Cousins wore the No. 12 jersey for Washington. He then switched to No. 8 in 2014 and has worn it every season since.

Kirk Cousins should be healthy when the season begins

Falcons fans don’t care what number Cousins wears as long he can help the team win more games. He joins Atlanta after the team finished 7-10 in the last three years with three different starting quarterbacks. Cousins missed half of the 2023 season, due to an Achilles injury but is expected to be 100 percent healthy when the season starts.

“I’m optimistic that I can be full speed at practice before we break for the summer – and that’s kind of the goal I’ve set for myself – but we do have a long runway,” Cousins said during his introductory press conference in March.

“What I’ve been told, going back to when I first injured it, was that you don’t rush it, you let time do its thing, and it’s going to take time to fully heal that tissue. But as a competitor, you want to get back as fast as you can. Certainly, I’m trying to do that.”

Cousins was in Washington from 2012-2017 and the Minnesota Vikings from 2018-2023. He has been named to the Pro Bowl four times and has a 98.2 passer rating in his career.