How many Vikings players haven’t been vaccinated for COVID-19? The exact number or even a ballpark number is unclear, but The Athletic’s Chad Graff reported Tuesday that the Vikings own one of the NFL’s lowest vaccination rates.
On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that 90% of the league’s players had received at least one vaccine dose. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reports that the Vikings have the NFL’s lowest rate, with 70% receiving one dose and 64.% fully vaccinated.
Bring Me The News has asked the Vikings to confirm those numbers.
The bigger deal, perhaps, is that Graff, citing sources, says five Vikings starters haven’t been vaccinated. Kirk Cousins is one of the five by default since he’s on a five-day minimum quarantine after being considered a high risk, close contact of quarterback Kellen Mond, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
Mond is sick from COVID-19, according to Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller, who attended Tuesday’s press conference with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Kubiak says that Kellen Mond is sick with COVID so they want to get him back to full health physically. In the meantime they’re trying to “challenge him” in meetings. Klint said he’s done a good job with that part
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) August 3, 2021
Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf also spoke Tuesday, saying he’s “very concerned” about players who are hesitant to get the vaccine.
“Well, we’re very concerned. I think it’s safe to say our number one priority is the health and safety of our players, our coaches, our staff and ultimately the entire community,” Wilf said, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
Players who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine, so Cousins clearly hasn’t received a vaccine. The four other starters Graff cited are unknown, though wide receiver Adam Thielen and safety Harrison Smith hadn’t been vaccinated as recently as mid-June.
“There’s quite a few guys that are just against it. I’m not going to be able to change their mind … it’s like half the country, I guess,” head coach Mike Zimmer said Monday.
“These guys, some of them just won’t do it. I shouldn’t say it, but some of the things they’ve read are just, woof, out there,” Zimmer added. “It’s their belief, so whatever they’ve heard or read or been told, or maybe they don’t believe what Dr. [Allen] Sills and the NFL is telling them. I don’t know.”
