Vikings Head Coach Reveals Vaccinated Player Was Rushed to the Hospital with Covid

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer revealed one of the team’s vaccinated players was rushed to the hospital Tuesday night because of Covid-19.

Zimmer did not reveal the name, but the player was later reported as 30-year-old offensive lineman Dakota Dozier, who was the most recent person to be placed on the team’s Covid-19/Reserve list.

“One of our players that was vaccinated, he had to go to the ER last night because of Covid,” Zimmer told reporters Wednesday. “It’s serious stuff, so, I don’t know. Like 29 guys are getting tested because of close contact, including myself.”

“He’s stable now,” Zimmer said when asked for an update, adding that the player is still in the hospital. “But it was scary.”

“I’m not a doctor, but it was Covid pneumonia or something,” the coach continued. “He had a hard time breathing.”

The Vikings were briefly the center of vaccine debate within the NFL over the summer, when quarterback Kirk Cousins revealed he was not going to get vaccinated. Cousins’ vaccination status forced him to miss time during training camp, but he has not incurred a close contact absence during the season.

Zimmer implored his players to get vaccinated over the summer, despite reluctance from the team’s starting quarterback. The Vikings reportedly had the lowest vaccination rate in the NFL when training camp started in August.

Watch above, via WCCO.

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