The Minnesota Vikings placed cornerback Patrick Peterson on the COVID-19 reserve list on Monday, taking out another starter from Mike Zimmer’s defense.
Peterson was in his second game back after sustaining a hamstring injury at Carolina in Week 6 and played all 70 of Minnesota’s defensive snaps in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Vikings have had three defensive starters land on the COVID-19/reserve list in recent weeks. Unlike Harrison Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson, who missed time as unvaccinated players in the NFL’s protocols, Peterson is vaccinated and was an advocate for other players to get vaccinated on his All Things Covered podcast last August.
“…We need all hands on deck and I know it’s personal preference, but if you’re trying to win a championship I want to put myself in the best position possible because at the end of the day we’ve got something going here,” Peterson said. “Obviously, you want to build depth but you have a greater chance by winning with your starters on the field.”
Peterson’s placement on the list indicates he has tested positive for the virus as vaccinated players are not required to quarantine due to a close contact. Due to a presumptive positive test, he will need to be symptom-free and post two negative tests at least 24 hours apart to return to the field.
That leaves a possibility that Peterson would be available for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions but for now, it’s an increased opportunity for Cameron Dantzler and Bashaud Breeland.
