Vikings Newcomer Nabs Kirk Cousins’ Jersey Number
Trishton Jackson “mined” the number last year. This time, it’s cornerback Jeff Okudah.
A new Vikings defender made headlines by taking Kirk Cousins’ old jersey number. Fans are buzzing about the man and his upside for the 2025 campaign.
A long-time wearer of Jersey No. 8, Kirk Cousins left Minnesota during the 2024 offseason, signing for megabucks with the Atlanta Falcons — $180 million over four years.
That experiment hasn’t exactly taken off well for Atlanta or Cousins.
And with Cousins a year and a half removed from Vikings operations, Okudah will take Cousins’ number in 2025.
Jeff Okudah Takes Over Kirk Cousins’ Jersey Number
Cousins played mostly well in the jersey for six seasons; perhaps Okudah will follow suit.
New Cornerback Jeff Okudah Picks No. 8
After roster cutdowns, which occurred last week, players often grab vacant jersey numbers left by departing players. The summer of 2025 was no different.
Okudah wore No. 21 at training camp and in the preseason, but opted for No. 8 last week.
It will mark the first time Okudah has worn the number in the pros or in college. Okudah previously wore No. 1 with the Houston Texans in 2024.
Okudah on Tap for CB3 Duty
Regarding Okudah’s job title in Minnesota, he’ll perform CB3 duties behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Okudah has never blasted off as a dependable starter through five seasons, so far owning a “bust” label among draft heads since his third overall pick fate in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Okudah only played 77 defensive snaps for Houston in 2024, but before that, in 2023, he participated in a semi-regular workload, playing 595 defensive snaps for the 2023 Atlanta Falcons and posting a 94.6 passer rating against.
All summer, Vikings fans have operated under the pretense that defensive coordinator Brian Flores can “fix” Okudah. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, Cousins in Atlanta …
How about Cousins? Well, he’s in a dreadful situation by his standards in Atlanta.
When signed by the Falcons in March 2024, he was promised a QB1 job, which meant Atlanta would draft Michael Penix Jr. from Round 1 six weeks later. Atlanta misled Cousins.
Penix Jr. has since taken over the QB1 job in Atlanta, leaving Cousins relegated to QB2 duty and as the subject of undying trade rumors. Cousins has never really swatted down the notion of a trade and would probably welcome one in a heartbeat if he could start for a team.
It’s a storyline to monitor when the trade deadline nears in November.
A Make-or-Break Campaign for Okudah as a Starter
For Okudah, 2025 is his last chance to latch onto a roster for the long haul as a starting cornerback. If the upcoming experiment flounders, he’ll very likely be considered a bench corner for the rest of his career.
It’s all on the line for Okudah this season, a chance to finally live up to his draft reputation. He should have ample opportunity due to the Vikings’ skinny CB depth situation.
More on Okudah
Sportsnaut‘s Andrew Buller-Russ predicted a breakout season for Okudah this week: “Now that NFL rosters are set (for now), it’s time to predict which players are set for a big year. While all athletes spend the offseason fine-tuning their craft, not everyone returns as an improved player ready to make a bigger impact.”
“Below, you’ll find a player from each NFC North team who is most primed to have a breakout season. Stay tuned, as we’ll continue releasing one division each day, resuming with the NFC East tomorrow after publishing the NFC West yesterday. Typically, if you’re a player who’s now on his fourth team in as many seasons, it means you’re running out of chances. That may be true for Jeff Okudah.”
If Okudah falters, Minnesota also has cornerback Dwight McGlothern beneath him on the depth chart.
Buller-Russ added, “However, in this case, it could be a case where a bright defensive mind like Brian Flores sees something in the third overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. Still just 26 years old, Okudah may be entering his prime, and having a strong pass-rush up front will only make life easier on the twitchy athlete.”
Our Ted Schwerzler on Okudah last month: “Rejuvenated by what Flores does on defense, Okudah has drawn the attention of everyone around TCO Performance Center this training camp. It would be a full-circle moment for Okudah to have the standout season he has always thought capable of in the division that once let him go.”
“Across 25 games with the Lions (22 starts), Okudah had 124 tackles and the only two interceptions of his career.”
Okudah will experience his first Vikings game as the CB3 one week from tonight. Minnesota is favored by 1.5 points to take down the Chicago Bears on that evening and has not lost a game at Soldier Field since 2019.
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