The Vikings held a night practice with fans in attendance Saturday night that became a big story, not because of what happened on the field, but because of who wasn’t on the field.
The team’s star quarterback Kirk Cousins, along with backups Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley, were all quarantined due to COVID protocols. Rookie Jake Browning, who is vaccinated according to Zimmer, was the only QB available in practice which is a very unusual occurrence in the NFL.
All reports from Saturday make it look like Browning was solid. But that does not mean he would be ready to step into the shoes of Kirk Cousins, something the organization is very concerned about.
Mond is vaccinated, but had a breakthrough positive. By following NFL protocols, with both Cousins and Stanely out, would lead fans and media to believe both of them have not been vaccinated. Anyone who is deemed a "close contact" but is vaccinated would not need to face quarantine. The NFL is not sharing who has chosen to skip vaccination.
What does this mean for the team going forward? The head coach is not holding back. Zimmer, who has been clearly upset about the situation, continued to air his frustration during his media briefing Monday.
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The head coach told reporters, “I just don’t understand. We could put this thing to bed if we'd all do this, but it is what it is." Zimmer agreed with Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins' questions about whether there is frustration with other players towards those who are not vaccinated.
Scoggins, who joined Chad Hartman on WCCO Radio following Zimmer’s comments Monday, says frustration with the Viking staff and front-office runs deep.
“He (Zimmer) needs to have a good year, and the quarterback will not get vaccinated,” Scoggins says. “And I'm telling you, talking to people privately, this organization is frustrated beyond frustrated with the guys that won't get vaccinated.”
The NFL is not mandating vaccinations, but does have significant protocols in place for unvaccinated players including being forced to wear masks, go through testing procedures, and even threatening to forfeit games if those unvaccinated players lead to outbreaks on the team.
Scoggins adds that this is a controllable thing for the team and that the coach is concerned this will cost the team games.
“You're putting this team in jeopardy,” said Scoggins who is a regular guest with Hartman on WCCO. “Zimmer said, you know, we're going to have guys that miss games, it's going to happen because of this. I had followed up to him, I said, what is going to be your tolerance level if you don't have your quarterback or some other star players and you lose the game? And he said, I’ll be mad we actually lost the game, but two, I'm gonna be mad because this was preventable. This was something they could have controlled.”
Zimmer also told Scoggins he’s concerned about the information the players who are unvaccinated are getting.
“He said, I probably shouldn't say this, but some of the things that these guys are reading are out there,” Scoggins explains. “I said there's misinformation? He said, no. It's just their beliefs. This is what they believe.”
While there is concern from the team about all players who are choosing to stay unvaccinated, Scoggins believes this is really all about one: Kirk Cousins.
“It just feels sort of helpless because, however many guys are not vaccinated, let's be honest, this is about one guy, right? This is primarily about one guy, your quarterback.”
Scoggins also talked about the feelings of other players on the team, and says there’s no question this is bothersome.
“If you get in the game and you're playing Green Bay and all of a sudden this is an important game and it might dictate whether you get in, and Kirk Cousins or Adam Thielen, whoever is not available, you can't tell me there won't be guys in that locker room that don't hold that against him,” Scoggins says. “It absolutely could divide the locker room. And Zimmer said he's talked to his guys about it and they've been pretty good. He said, I've been the most vocal about it. I don't think players would come out and tell the media about it. But I guarantee you they would privately, because this is a very strong opinion, very strong emotional subject. So absolutely, I bet those guys in there now, they're like this is a joke.”
The Vikings are in Training Camp now. The first preseason game is Saturday, August 14th with the regular season beginning September 12th in Cincinnati.