The Vikings Friday placed quarterback Kirk Cousins on the COVID-19 reserve list after he tested positive for the virus, meaning he won't play in Sunday's game at Green Bay.
ESPN's Adam Schefter and the NFL Network reported that Cousins experienced self-reported symptoms, and that tests came back positive.
As an unvaccinated player, he must test every day.
Also on Friday, backup Sean Mannion was removed from the COVID list, and he's expected to start Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
During training camp, Cousins said that precautions such as plexiglass-shielded areas and social distancing were enough to keep him healthy.
"As I said to Coach Zimmer on the phone last night," Cousins said in August, "We can meet in the indoor (practice facility), we can meet outside, and I said if it means meeting outside under a goalpost in January, if that what it takes to get to the playoffs and be in playoff games and win playoff games, then that's where we're going to meet."
Cousins' comments came a few weeks after Zimmer, almost being prophetic, addressed the situation of so many players choosing to go unvaccinated.
"Something like this happens the day before a game that has a chance to get you in the playoffs, or something like that," he told reporters. "For the sake of everybody's health, I think (getting the vaccine is) important. But some people don't understand, I guess."
The Vikings need to win their final two games of the regular season to have a chance to qualify for the NFC playoffs.
Going into the penultimate weekend of the NFL regular season, the Vikings are 7-8. one game behind Philadelphia and San Francisco for the final wild cart spot in the National Conference.
Following Sunday night's game at Lambeau Field, the Vikings close out the regular season on Jan. 9 at home against the Chicago Bears.