Getty Former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (left) and head coach Mike Zimmer (right)
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said all the right things on Thursday.
Returning to practice after isolating for five days due to a close contact exposure to a COVID-19 positive Kellen Mond, Cousins told local media he would do “whatever it takes” to keep himself from landing on the COVID-19 reserve list again.
That may not be feasibly possible under the current NFL rules and guidelines if Cousins remains unvaccinated. Meanwhile, coach Mike Zimmer has grown increasingly frustrated with players that remain unvaccinated.
SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad has observed a growing rift between the two foundational leaders of the team, saying the two could be headed toward a “messy divorce.”
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Zimmer Contradicts Cousins
In a press conference on Thursday, Cousins said that he believes “protocols work” and that “the mask and social distancing works,” per Pioneer Press reporter Chris Tomasson.
Cousins doubled down on the protocols, saying he is considering putting up plexiglass everywhere he may be in the Vikings facilities after he was deemed a close contact with Mond in the quarterbacks meeting room.
“I do believe that as a leader of the team, it’s very important to follow the protocols to avoid this close contact because that is what it’s going to come down to. Did you have a close contact? So I’m going to be vigilant about avoiding a close contact,” Cousins said. “I’ve even thought about, should I just set up literally plexiglass around where I sit, so this could never happen again? I’ve thought about it, because I’m going to do whatever it takes.”
However, when speaking with Dan Bareirro on KFAN two days prior, Zimmer said that Cousins “doesn’t believe in protocols.”
“I haven’t talked to him not about whether he should or shouldn’t get vaccinated,” Zimmer said. “I’ve talked to him about some of the protocols, which he doesn’t believe in.”
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Bubbling Frustration
Cousins said he was “not a close contact” with Mond and that the NFL found an issue with the quarterbacks meeting room being too small that has since been remedied by moving QB meetings to a larger space.
He appeared to have had a change of heart and promised to do his best to adhere to all guidelines, but he remains at the NFL’s mercy and strict guidelines so long as he is unvaccinated. Zimmer has voiced his frustrations with unvaccinated players, including Cousins.
“Cousins and Zimmer, until now, have gotten along… Now (Zimmer) has come out and criticized Kirk for not being vaccinated, there’s obviously a few Vikings players who are unvaccinated, but Cousins is the biggest one,” Zulgad said on Afternoon Judd.
The growing friction surrounding vaccinations exacerbates a growing tension between Zimmer and the price tag attached to Cousins. Zimmer was adamant about not overspending on a quarterback in the 2018 offseason at the expense of the defense, which was blown up following Cousins’ two-year, $66 million contract extension in 2020.
Everson Griffen floated a comment that Zimmer never wanted Cousins in his social media frenzy in January that could ring more true each day Cousins remains unvaccinated.
One of my most endearing qualities is holding a grudge. Deleted but not forgotten.
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Vikings’ Mike Zimmer, Kirk Cousins Headed Toward ‘Messy Divorce,’ Analyst Says