Unvaccinated Kirk Cousins Tests Positive for Covid-19 Months After Contemplating a ‘Plexiglass’ Fortress as Protection

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The Minnesota Vikings will be without Kirk Cousins for their most crucial game of the season after the unvaccinated quarterback tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cousins’ positive test came after he self-reported symptoms, but as an unvaccinated player, the quarterback was required to be tested daily.

During training camp, Cousins was forced to quarantine for five days after being deemed a close-contact to a teammate who tested positive. Frustrated by the forced absence, Cousins vowed to do everything he could to stay in the field, except get vaccinated.

“I’m going to be vigilant about avoiding a close contact,” Cousins said during training camp. “I’ve even thought about should I just set up literally plexiglass around where I sit, so that this can never happen again. I’ve thought about it, because I’m gonna do whatever it takes.”

After being able to avoid Covid for most of the NFL season, Cousins will now miss the Vikings most important game of the season as their playoff hopes hang by a thread and a matchup with the Green Bay Packers looms for Sunday night.

With the recent emergence of the Omicron variant, NFL rosters have been ravaged by Covid-19 despite the league having a vaccination rate near 95 percent.

While there is no guarantee that getting the jab would have saved Cousins from catching Covid-19 at this inopportune time, there are more paths for vaccinated players to get back on the field quickly following a positive test.

The NFL recently retooled its Covid-19 protocols, now allowing fully vaccinated individuals to return from quarantine after they’re asymptomatic for at least 24 hours, regardless of when the positive test was taken. Meaning if Cousins were vaccinated, there would be an avenue for him to play Sunday against the Packers. But unvaccinated players who test positive are required to quarantine for at least five days, regardless of symptoms.

29-year-old backup Sean Mannion will take Cousins’ place under center on Sunday. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who expressed frustration with vaccine hesitant players over the summer, stated he was unaware if Cousins experienced symptoms.

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