Flurry of Falcons get their jersey numbers

The talk of the Falcons jersey numbers surrounded Kirk Cousins and Kyle Pitts, but that resolution was a bit anticlimactic.

When the signing was first announced, there was a ton of debate about Cousins and Pitts’ jersey numbers.

Would Cousins continue to wear #8? What would Pitts wear? The veteran quarterback had worn the number since joining the Minnesota Vikings, but so had Pitts since coming out of Florida.

The highest-drafted tight end in NFL history changed from #84 to #8 because Cordarrelle Patterson had #84. However, this offseason saw Patterson leave Atlanta for Pittsburgh to follow Arthur Smith. It was the perfect storm for Pitts to grab #84 and Cousins to collect #8.

We got a much less exciting culmination because Cousins and Pitts weren’t willing to pony up hundreds of thousands of dollars to the league for the jerseys printed with “#8 Pitts” on the back. Cousins then decided to wear #18, with the Falcons’ tight end sticking to the status quo.

We have more jersey number news too. According to a Twitter account that tracks jersey number changes, Falcons’ 2023 draft picks DeMarcco Hellams and Clark Phillips III have changed numbers, and Ray-Ray McCloud has a new number in his new threads.