Courtesy of Vikings Dakota Dozier could be thrust into the starting lineup with Oli Udoh on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer revealed Wednesday morning that a player was sent to the emergency room on Tuesday amid a COVID-19 outbreak.
“One of our players that was vaccinated, he had to go to the ER last night because of COVID,” Zimmer said in a Wednesday press conference. “It’s serious stuff, so, I don’t know. Like 29 guys are getting tested because of close contact, including myself. Just do what we do.”
Pioneer Press beat writer Chris Tomasson reported that said player was guard Dakota Dozier, per sources. Dozier, a member of the practice squad, was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list last Friday. He is fully vaccinated, Tomasson reported.
“He’s stable now,” Zimmer said. “But it was scary. … It was COVID. I’m not a doctor, but it was COVID pneumonia or something, he had a hard time breathing.”
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Vikings Down 2 Starters Due to COVID-19
The Vikings were relatively in the clear through the first half of the season despite being publicized as one of the least vaccinated teams in the NFL.
In August, the Vikings had the league’s lowest vaccination rate, per the Washington Post. The most scrutinized team member for his vaccination status, Kirk Cousins, has yet to miss a game along with Adam Thielen, who is also unvaccinated.
But that clean record came to a halt last week when starting center Garrett Bradbury, vaccinated, and Harrison Smith, who is unvaccinated, both tested positive for the virus and missed Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Smith tested positive on game day, meaning he’ll miss the next 10 days of team activities, including a Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
This week, linebacker Ryan Connelly and tackle Timon Parris have been placed on the practice-squad COVID-19 reserve list as the team continues to follow protocols and weed out the risk of exposure.
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Zimmer’s Frustration Continues
Zimmer staunchly encouraged his team to get vaccinated before the season started. He even took measures to invite a licensed medical expert to talk with the team and address any concerns.
Cousins, Thielen, Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson and Dalvin Cook were believed to be unvaccinated due to wearing masks on the sidelines during a preseason game in August, per observations during training camp by The Athletic’s Arif Hasan. Their vaccination status has yet to be updated, but it’s unlikely they would receive doses during the season.
“It’s frustrating,” Zimmer said in a Monday press conference. “But at the same point, the players that are not vaccinated, I think they’ve made their decisions on what they’re going to do and there’s really no sense fighting it with me. They are going to do what they are going to do.”
Currently, 30 of the 32 NFL teams have an overall vaccination rate of 95% or higher, per the NFL.
Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling estimated at least 13 Vikings players were either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated through observations during training camp, which would mean 81% of the 69 players on the active roster or practice squad at the time were vaccinated.