Vikings' Sam Howell Jersey Announcement Draws Ire of Kirk Cousins Critics

The Minnesota Vikings have a bevy of incoming talent whose roster numbers were announced on Friday, May 2.

Rookie numbers tend to make headlines for the team's annual jersey number reveal, but some veterans caught the attention this year.

Former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (No. 2) and ex-Arizona Cardinals receiver Rondale Moore (No. 4) claimed coveted single-digit numbers. 

However, Sam Howell seems to have stolen the show with a number that turned heads.

According to a team release, Howell will wear No. 8 for the Vikings -- longtime Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins' number.

Fans took to social media with widespread reactions following the news.

"The 'we should trade for Kirk' crowd just fell to their knees," one fan wrote, referring to the calls for the team to trade for Cousins, currently with the Atlanta Falcons, amid concerns about the backup quarterback spot in Minnesota.

Howell quelled those concerns when the Vikings acquired him in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks during Day 3 of the draft.

And while Howell is far from a finished product at just 24 years old, fans sarcastically poked fun at Cousins after he failed to live up to the steep expectations of a Super Bowl bid when he first arrived in 2018.

"Cousins didn’t do ANYTHING to have his jersey retired so why not let a backup wear it!!" one fan wrote.

"Best Vikings quarterback to wear8️⃣," another fan wrote in reaction to the Howell news.

"I can confidently say there's never been a better QB here to wear 8," another fan echoed.

While Howell is in the final year of his rookie deal and has yet to prove to be a capable starting quarterback in the league, that didn't stop one fan's plea:

"Chat will this be the best Viking to ever wear 8?"