Kirk Cousins is back in Minnesota. But he’s not back at No. 8.
The official online list shows the cousins without assigned numbers, yet. The player currently ranked No. 8 is safety Jakobe Thomas, a third-round pick in the 2026 draft.
It’s likely that Thomas — who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game in 2026 — will cede the number to Cousins. Perhaps for an appropriate contribution to Thomas’ charity of choice. Or maybe after Cousins pulled out a Jared Verse and showed up to practice on Wednesday wearing No. 8.
There is another possibility, as intriguing as it is improbable. Given that Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who like Cousins had a second stint as Minnesota’s starter, is very enthusiastic with Cousins returning, Tarkenton could offer to temporarily retire the No. 10.
I know. I know. I have made my position clear that retired numbers should not remain retired. Specifically, prospective players should not initiate the request, as this places the player for whom the number was retired in a no-win situation. But if the idea comes from the player who owns the permanent rights to the number, that’s different.
It’s still unlikely. And it would seem odd to see Cousins at No.10. So it makes sense that he would go back to No. 8, and that Thomas would choose one of the other available numbers, like No. 9 (which he wore during his season at Tennessee) or No. 6 (which he wore before that at Middle Tennessee State).
Gn sports
