EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings will be without multiple players for Saturday evening’s practice at TCO Stadium due to a COVID-19 interruption, the team announced.
NFL Network reported that Vikings rookie quarterback Kellen Mond has tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, fellow quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley — both deemed high-risk close-contacts, a league source confirmed to ESPN — will miss Saturday’s practice and have to abide by a five-day quarantine before returning to training camp.
According to the protocols put together this summer by the NFL and players’ union, high-risk close contacts designate that a player is not fully vaccinated.
Jake Browning, who is fully vaccinated according to Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, is expected to be Minnesota’s only quarterback available for Saturday’s practice.
Zimmer did not specify how many additional players would have to miss Saturday’s practice, and if the Vikings would be placing anyone on the COVID-19 reserve list. The Vikings coach did, however, say the team did not consider cancelling the evening practice.
“You know, quite honestly, after everything we went through last year, I’m not surprised one bit,” Zimmer said. “I am disappointed that this happened. I’m frustrated, not just with my football players who didn’t get vaccinated, but I’m frustrated with everybody [who didn’t]. We’ll just do the best we can. It’s just disappointing.”