Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has tested positive for COVID-19, and as an unvaccinated player, will be out on Sunday night.
The Vikings face the Green Bay Packers with the playoffs on the line. Unfortunately for Minnesota, they’ll be without their signal-caller, as Cousins was placed in COVID-19 protocol after testing positive.
Cousins’ vaccination status coming back to haunt him is an unfortunate, but entirely predictable result. We’ve known Cousins wasn’t vaccinated since training camp, and seeing as his status hasn’t changed, this is the end result — hurting his team in a critical situation. Cousins has no one to blame but himself, sadly.
Is Kirk Cousins vaccinated?
No, Cousins is not vaccinated, and it’s led to some animosity between he and head coach Mike Zimmer dating back to training camp.
Zimmer has a valid point. As a team leader, Cousins put himself and his team at risk by not getting vaccinated. The NFL’s COVID-19 protocol will now force the Vikings quarterback to miss a critical game they need to win to make the playoffs. It was entirely predictable.
Vikings: Who will start with Kirk Cousins out?
With Cousins likely out, the Vikings will turn to either Sean Mannion or rookie quarterback Kellen Mond out of Texas A&M. Mond is a raw quarterback prospect, but the Vikings view him as a potential heir-apparent to Cousins once he’s fully-developed as a passer. Mannion is more likely to get the start, however.
Minnesota sits in the eighth position in the NFC at the moment. The top seven teams make the playoffs.
The Eagles and 49ers have a one-game lead over the Vikings with just two weeks remaining. It’s safe to say the Vikings cannot afford to lose to the division-leading Packers in Week 16, despite Cousins’ untimely absence.