Kirk Cousins and Two Other Vikings QBs to Miss Tonight’s Practice Due to COVID Protocols

If you thought COVID-19 wouldn’t rear its ugly head during the 2021 football season, then think again.

Our first high-profile issue is (relatively) close to home, as it is impacting a Chicago Bears division rival:

The Minnesota Vikings will be without three quarterbacks for tonight’s proactive due to COVID-19 protocols, reports NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Among them 2021 third-round pick Kellen Mond, who reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, and starter Kirk  Cousins, who is in protocol as a high-risk close contact. It doesn’t get any more “close contact” than sharing a position group. All of this leaves Jake Browning, a 25-year-old with no professional snaps under his belt, left to take all the practice snaps.

Hey, at least he can tell his grandkids one day that he got to throw to Justin Jefferson. That’s kinda neat!

What’s not-so-neat is that Head Coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t seem pleased with this development:

I can’t front. If the shoe was on the other foot and it was the Bears’ rookie QB on the cusp of missing time in their first training camp, I’d be steaming about it, too. To be clear, I understand that it’s just training camp. And we’re early enough in camp to realize there is time to make up for lost snaps. But every practice rep matters for rookies. Moreover, they all matter for a quarterback who is more likely to be a long-term solution in Minnesota than the incumbent Cousins.

Considering how we’ve heard baseball managers and front office leaders talk about getting the vaccination being a competitive advantage, I’m sure football coaches and front office types will soon parrot that sentiment. And especially when it comes to quarterbacks, a position group that is already thin to begin with in the first place. Last year, the Broncos started a receiver-turned-quarterback due to their QBs being in COVID protocols. And if this Vikings situation were to play out in the regular season, they might be in a similar position.

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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