Sam Howell has officially been assigned a new jersey number with the Minnesota Vikings—and it’s one fans will instantly recognize. He’ll be wearing No. 8, the same number previously worn by longtime Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Howell previously sported No. 7 at North Carolina, No. 14 with the Commanders, and No. 6 during his brief time in Seattle, but all those numbers were already taken in Minnesota. That left No. 8 as his new option.
Cousins spent six seasons in Minnesota, leading the team to two playoff berths and earning one postseason win. While that résumé isn’t quite enough for the team to retire his number, assigning it to someone else seems to put a final stamp on the Cousins era in purple and gold.
The move likely ends any speculation about a potential Cousins return—though in the NFL, one injury can always change the calculus. If the Vikings were to face a quarterback emergency similar to when Cousins tore his Achilles in 2023, it’s not out of the question they could revisit that door. If so, Howell would have to relinquish No. 8—or Cousins would need to pick a different number, like he did upon joining the Falcons, where Kyle Pitts already owned No. 8. Cousins settled on No. 18 in Atlanta, but that number belongs to Justin Jefferson in Minnesota and may be retired in the future.
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