EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley are expected back at practice on Thursday after completing a five-day stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to coach Mike Zimmer.
Cousins and Stanley went into COVID-19 protocols on Saturday after they were designated high-risk close contacts upon rookie quarterback Kellen Mond returning a positive test for COVID-19. Jake Browning, who spent the past two seasons on Minnesota’s practice squad, has received the majority of quarterback reps in practice the past three days.
Zimmer shrugged his shoulders when asked when Mond would return, but according to NFL/NFLPA protocols, the rookie quarterback will be out a minimum of 10 days.
According to a report from The Washington Post, the Vikings have the league’s lowest vaccination rate with 64.5% of the players fully vaccinated.
Zimmer, who has spoken out about his frustrations with his players who refuse to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, said Wednesday that he will not discuss the topic anymore.
On Tuesday, Zimmer appeared on KFAN-100.3 FM and was asked by host Dan Barreiro whether he had any conversations with Cousins on his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Not really,” Zimmer said. “I’ve talked to him about, not necessarily whether he should or shouldn’t get vaccinated, I’ve just talked to him about some of the protocols, which he doesn’t believe in. And I said, ‘Well, call Dr. [Allen] Sills [the NFL’s chief medical officer] or call the league, whatever there, call your [players’ association]. But I’m kind of refined to the fact that these guys aren’t going to do it. I’d be curious to find out how many of the starting quarterbacks aren’t [vaccinated] in the league. I don’t know.”