Kirk Cousins gets his old jersey number back after Vikings rookie gives up No. 8

Kirk Cousins. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kirk Cousins gets his old jersey number back after Vikings rookie gives up No. 8

By Anne Erickson | Last updated Nov 12, 2026 8:18 PM ET

The Minnesota Vikings are playing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but this isn't just any game. It's their first game with former quarterback Kirk Cousins back at the helm.

It's an emotional time for both the franchise and Cousins. His NFL career has taken him to multiple teams, but he's spent the most time with the Vikings, and now, he's back. It's a full-circle moment.

Before the game, the Vikings revealed something special about Cousins, and it should make him even more recognizable to fans.

Kirk Cousins officially gets his jersey number back

On Thursday, just hours before the game, the Vikings took to social media to announce that Cousins will officially wear his No. 8 jersey with the team. Was this a question? It actually was, because rookie safety Jakobe Thomas had been wearing No. 8, but he'll change to No. 6.

QB Kirk Cousins will wear #8 and S Jakobe Thomas will wear #6
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2026

Reporters asked Cousins about the number issue on Wednesday during a news conference, and he said, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, "I'm confident that Jakobe and I can have a healthy and mature conversation and figure this out."

It sounds like that happened, or at least something happened to make the switch. Thomas is a rookie and hasn't played in a regular-season game yet, so it seemed like a no-brainer decision to give Cousins the No. 8.

Also, Thomas wore the No. 6 jersey during his time at Middle Tennessee State, per Florio, so it's a fit. Before coming to the NFL, however, he played for the Miami Hurricanes.

The real takeaway here is that anyone who has a Cousins jersey from his time in Minnesota can rest easy knowing that it's still current with the No. 8.

Anne Erickson

Anne Erickson is an award-winning news reporter covering the NFL, NBA, college sports and more for Yardbarker. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and other sports, and her work has been published by Fox Sports, ESPN and Newsweek, among others. She has also interviewed a bevy of big names in sports and entertainment, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Lions edge Aidan Hutchinson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

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