Coach Zimmer 'Frustrated' With Unvaccinated MN Vikings Players

EAGAN, MN — Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said he is "frustrated" with unvaccinated players after a COVID exposure sidelined three of his quarterbacks, including starter Kirk Cousins.

After Vikings rookie quarterback Kellen Mond tested positive for COVID-19, Cousins and Nate Stanley were deemed "high-risk close contacts," ESPN reported. They must quarantine for five days.

The "high-risk close contact" designation means that player is not fully vaccinated, according to ESPN

"After everything we went through last year, I'm not surprised one bit," coach Mike Zimmer said in a Saturday news conference.

"I am disappointed that this happened. I'm frustrated, not just with my football players who didn't get vaccinated, but I'm frustrated with everybody. We'll just do the best we can. It's just disappointing."

Jake Browning, who is fully vaccinated, was Minnesota's only quarterback able to practice Saturday.

"You can see the cases going up every single day now," Zimmer continued, adding that it's "for the sake of everybody's health," people should get vaccinated.

The Vikings and the 31 other teams in the NFL could face massive penalties if unvaccinated players test positive for the coronavirus during the 2021 regular season.

If a game cannot be rescheduled because of a coronavirus outbreak among unvaccinated players on a team, that team must forfeit and those players will not be paid their salary that week.

Also read: Students Should Wear Masks During School: MN Dept. Of Education