The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Falcons’ Pitts may cash in on No. 8
Kyle Pitts might be able to cash in on the Kirk Cousins signing.
Cousins agreed to a fouryear, $180 million deal as the Falcons’ new quarterback Monday. The deal can become official Wednesday with the start of the new league season.
Cousins has worn No. 8 for much of his 12-year career. He wore No. 12 in his first two seasons after being drafted by Washington in 2012. He switched to No. 8 when he became the starter in 2014 and did so for the remaining four seasons. When Cousins signed with the Vikings, he also wore No. 8 for his entire six seasons there. Cousins wore No. 8 in his four seasons at Michigan State, too.
No. 8 with the Falcons currently belongs to Pitts, the tight end who has worn the number in his three seasons with the Falcons. Veterans are known to pay a price to get a uniform number when they join a new team. Cousins may have to open his Venmo app to keep that No. 8. Stay tuned.
TITANS: Tennessee is replacing four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry with Tony Pollard.
Pollard and the Titans agreed Monday to a $24 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Henry, the eight-year veteran who turned 30 in January, is poised to hit free agency Wednesday for the first time in his career.
Pollard, 26, was a fourthround pick by Dallas in 2019 out of Memphis. He has had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, with the Cowboys using the franchise tag on Pollard for the 2023 season.
The Cowboys declined to tag Pollard for a second straight season despite him running for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns. Pollard also had a career-high 55 receptions for 311 yards.
Henry turned 30 in January. The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner led the NFL in carries with 280 and ranked second in rushing behind the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey in 2023. He is just 508 yards shy of Eddie George’s franchise rushing mark of 10,009 yards.
COLTS: Indianapolis is closing in on a three-year, $70 million deal with $46 million in guarantees to keep receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who had the best season of his four-year career last season. He become the fourth Colts player to catch 100 passes in a single season. He also had his second 1,000-yard season.
BEARS: Chicago and Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift agreed to a three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal said. The deal is reportedly worth $24 million, with $15.3 million guaranteed. Acquired from Detroit in a draft day trade last year, the 25-yearold former Georgia Bulldog had his best season. He ran for a career-high 1,049 yards and five touchdowns, and he made his first Pro Bowl.
BILLS: Reached an agreement to sign left tackle Dion Dawkins to a three-year contract extension that locks up the starter through 2027.
49ERS: San Francisco is planning to cut its longest-tenured player by releasing defensive tackle Arik Armstead in a salary cap move. Armstead was drafted by San Francisco in the first round in 2015 and is the only player remaining from when coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch took over in 2017.