Minnesota Vikings rookie safety Jakobe Thomas wore No. 8 during his first season with the team. When quarterback Kirk Cousins returned to the franchise, he wanted the number back—but Thomas asked for nothing in exchange.
Jersey-number changes sometimes involve payments between players. Thomas, 23, is playing on a $7 million third-round rookie contract, while Cousins has earned just over $333 million during his NFL career and is set to receive another $10 million guaranteed in 2027. As of this season, Cousins ranks third in career NFL earnings, behind Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford.
Thomas said Cousins texted him about the number, and he was happy to return it. “No money needed,” Thomas said. “I just need him to come here and win games. A lot of fans have his jersey anyway, so they could pull him out of the closet and put him back on. So that’s all it is. Kirko’s got a lot more memories and history in that number than I do, and it’s rightfully his. So I just gave it back to his rightful owner.”
