Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are expecting to have starting quarterback Kirk Cousins back at training camp Thursday.

Head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Cousins and fellow quarterback Nate Stanley have satisfied the NFL's health and safety protocols after spending five days on the reserve/COVID-19 list. As a result, they should soon be good to go for practice.

In June, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero shared the new COVID-19 protocols for training camp and the preseason.

Players who are fully vaccinated don't have to quarantine when they're believed to have been at high risk of exposure to the virus. Personnel who are unvaccinated, however, have to enter a quarantine period.

"Quite honestly, after everything we went through last year, I'm not surprised one bit," Zimmer told reporters of the Vikings' situation. "I am disappointed that this happened. I'm frustrated, not just with my football players who didn't get vaccinated, but I'm frustrated with everybody [who didn't]. We'll just do the best we can."

He also raised a hypothetical in which a team could see one or more players ruled unavailable before a pivotal game. Pelissero reported that teams experiencing an outbreak of unvaccinated players will forfeit any contest that can't be rescheduled.

"It's why people should get vaccinated," Zimmer said.

"We could put this thing to bed if we'd all do this, but it is what it is." - Coach Zimmer pic.twitter.com/nL8PmUZeM1

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 2, 2021

The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala reported the Vikings have the lowest vaccination rate of any NFL team at 64.5 percent.

Minnesota selected Texas A&M's Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, but Cousins is widely expected to be the starter for Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Vikings kick off their preseason slate Aug. 14 against the Denver Broncos.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney has been released after being indicted by a grand jury in Texas on a felony domestic violence charge. 

#Vikings statement on Jeff Gladney pic.twitter.com/mj8KRCEknv

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 3, 2021

Gladney turned himself in to authorities in April after his then-girlfriend told police he hit and strangled her after an argument, including striking her "both with a closed fist and open hand," per Tom Schad of USA Today.

The woman later filed a civil lawsuit against Gladney saying he beat her for over two hours before trying to silence her with a $1,000 necklace and a spa gift certificate. She is seeking $1 million in damages.

A grand jury heard the criminal case on July 29 and determined there was enough evidence to indict the 24-year-old cornerback

In the civil lawsuit, the woman also said Gladney showed up at her house on July 25 and forced her to delete threads and screenshots of text conversations.

Gladney has remained on the Vikings roster throughout the offseason, although he has not participated in spring workouts or training camp.

"We've been in touch with NFL security, and we're going to let the due process play out," general manager Rick Spielman said in April.

Gladney was a first-round pick in the 2020 draft and immediately took on a key role in the Minnesota defense. He appeared in all 16 games and made 15 starts, finishing with 81 tackles.

Gladney appeared in 89 percent of defensive snaps as a rookie, fourth-most on the roster.

Add Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer to the list of head coaches who aren't thrilled with their unvaccinated players. 

The team had multiple players miss Saturday's practice after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which reportedly includes quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Kellen Mond, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Zimmer addressed the situation while speaking with reporters:

#Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he can't talk about any specific names about those in COVID-19 protocols.: Says "that's why people should get vaccinated."

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 31, 2021

Mike Zimmer on Jake Browning being vaccinated: "It's important to be available when you're playing football in a team sport."

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 31, 2021

Jake Browning is expected to get all the reps at QB with Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley in COVID-19 protocols. "He's vaccinated. That helps to be the backup,'' Mike Zimmer said about Browning.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 31, 2021

#Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he's disappointed that this happened. Asked if it could be a wake-up call regarding vaccination, Zimmer said. "Some people are pretty staunch."

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 31, 2021

Earlier on Saturday, Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera offered a similar viewpoint after guard Brandon Scherff and tackle David Sharpe became the fifth and sixth players on the team to be put on the reserve/COVID-19 list, per John Keim of ESPN. 

Rivera noted that it makes trying to evaluate players more difficult if they're missing time because of the coronavirus. 

"That's part of the problem, to be very honest," he said . "That's going to make things difficult, and that's the thing we have to be aware of. It'll make it difficult in terms of everybody working together, difficult on us as coaches with our evaluations and scouts, and it'll be difficult on the player because having time off, not really getting an opportunity to work and develop and grow and learning. That's the downfall and that's the downside."

Zimmer was clearly frustrated with the developments on his own football team. 

"[If] something like this happens a day before a game that has a chance to get you to the playoffs or something like that, [it could hamper a team]," he told reporters. "This Delta variant is rough. You can see the cases going up every single day now. That's why, for the sake of everybody's health, I think it's important. But some people don't understand, I guess. I am disappointed that this happened. I'm frustrated, not just with my football players who didn't get vaccinated, but I'm frustrated with everybody [who didn't].”

According to Keim, 89.4 percent of players around the NFL have been vaccinated. 

According to the CDC, the coronavirus vaccine is "safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, including severe illness and death" and at preventing its variants, though it is recommending people return to masking in indoor public spaces. If fully vaccinated people do get the coronavirus, those cases "tend to be mild."

U.S. health officials said this week that "97 percent of new hospitalizations and 99.5 percent of deaths in the U.S. are among unvaccinated individuals," per Berkeley Lovelace Jr. of CNBC. 

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was among a group of players held out of Saturday's practice because of COVID-19 protocols. 

In a statement released on Twitter, the Vikings announced "multiple players will be held out of tonight’s practice inside TCO Stadium."

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Cousins and two other quarterbacks, including rookie Kellen Mond, are among the players not practicing. 

It's unclear if Cousins has tested positive for COVID-19, nor is it known if he has been vaccinated. 

Per an agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association, players who have been vaccinated don't have to undergo daily testing and aren't required to quarantine if they are deemed a high-risk close contact of someone who tested positive for the virus. 

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to updated COVID-19 protocols for 2021 training camp and preseason, per source.

How different will life by for vaccinated and unvaccinated players? From the memo that just went to clubs: pic.twitter.com/8yMPW0JBWZ

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 16, 2021

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters he couldn't specify which players were out, but he did stress the importance of getting vaccinated because of how this situation could impact a team prior to a big game. 

Mike Zimmer on players out due to protocol, "I can't talk anymore about that because of new protocols."

"It's why people should get vaccinated"

"Something like this happens the day before a game with a chance to get into the playoffs?"

"Some people don't understand, I guess."

— Chris Long (@ChrisLongKSTP) July 31, 2021

League spokesman Brian McCarthy noted Thursday that 87.9 percent of NFL players are at least partially vaccinated and 19 teams have more than 90 percent of players vaccinated. 

The Vikings held their first full squad practice Wednesday. 

Cousins is entering his fourth season as Minnesota's starting quarterback. The 32-year-old threw for 4,265 yards and 35 touchdowns in 16 starts last season.    

The ex-girlfriend of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney filed a lawsuit this week accusing him of assaulting her in April.

USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer obtained a copy of the lawsuit in which the woman accused Gladney of "beating her for over two hours in April and then trying to bribe her into silence with a $1,000 necklace from Tiffany’s and a gift certificate to a spa."

Schrotenboer noted that Gladney, who had a grand jury hearing scheduled Thursday, could be formally indicted after facing a felony assault charge.

Tasha Tsiaperas, community and media relations manager for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, spoke to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press this week that a decision on whether Gladney will be indicted is expected to happen Tuesday. 

Gladney allegedly assaulted the woman April 1, with his former girlfriend stating she "saw messages from Gladney to another woman for whom he bought $700 Louis Vuitton sunglasses."

According to the lawsuit, after the disagreement escalated, the woman refused to let Gladney go through her phone, and "that is when the assault and violence began." 

Gladney is also accused of showing up at the woman's house on July 25 "uninvited, and forced Plaintiff, against her will, to delete threads of text messages and screenshots of text messages," the suit reads.

The Vikings defensive back surrendered to Dallas Police in April after an arrest warrant was issued for him on a felony family violence assault charge. He was released from custody after posting a $10,000 bond. 

"We are aware of Jeff's arrest and are gathering additional information," the Vikings said in a statement to NFL.com's Grant Gordon in April. "We take this matter very seriously, as the reported allegations are extremely disturbing. At this time we will have no further comment."

Gladney hasn't been with the Vikings at training camp this week. The 24-year-old was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He appeared in all 16 games (15 starts) as a rookie last year.    

The Minnesota Vikings announced Tuesday that Rick Dennison will remain on the team's coaching staff as a senior offensive advisor.

Dennison was removed from his role as Vikings offensive line coach and run game coordinator after deciding against getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The NFL requires all Tier 1 personnel to get the vaccine, and that includes assistant coaches.

In his new role, Dennison will work virtually rather than attending team practices, meetings and games.

Phil Rauscher, who was the assistant offensive line coach last season, has been promoted to offensive line coach, and Ben Steele was hired as the new assistant offensive line coach.

The 63-year-old Dennison is a longtime NFL assistant who played for the Denver Broncos as a linebacker from 1982 to 1990 before joining the team's coaching staff in 1995.

Dennison spent 17 seasons on the Broncos' coaching staff in various capacities from 1995 to 2009 and again from 2015 to 2016. He has also coached for the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

During his 17 years in Denver as a coach, Dennison won three Super Bowls, including one as offensive coordinator in 2016.

Dennison was Denver's offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008 and 2015 to 2016, and he was an OC in Houston from 2010 to 2013 and Buffalo in 2017.

The Montana native was Minnesota's offensive line coach and running game coordinator in both 2019 and 2020. Minnesota ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing yardage in 2019 and fifth in 2020.

Under Dennison's watch, running back Dalvin Cook enjoyed a career year in 2020, rushing for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns en route to his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

While Dennison will still have a role on the coaching staff, it will be up to Rauscher to work directly with the offensive line on a day-to-day basis.

Key linemen Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Dakota Dozier and Brian O'Neill are all returning in 2021, but Rauscher will be tasked with integrating first-round pick Christian Darrisaw and third-round pick Wyatt Davis into the mix as well.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, who was shot four times last month in Washington, D.C., will report to training camp Sunday.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Twyman is "really excited" to report to camp with other rookies.

Twyman, a 2021 sixth-round pick, was one of several people injured in a June shooting. He suffered superficial exit wounds, and Rosenhaus said he was in D.C. visiting his aunt.

"Wrong place, wrong time," Rosenhaus told Courtney Cronin off ESPN. "In talking to him today, he's going to be OK—that's all that matters. We're thankful he's OK. He will make a full recovery."

Twyman opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for April's draft. In 2019, he led Pitt with 10.5 sacks and was a first-team All-ACC selection.

The Vikings are hoping Twyman can add depth and pass-rushing prowess to their defensive interior. Now healthy enough for camp, Twyman can get started on proving he was worth more than a Day 3 selection. 

Rick Dennison is reportedly no longer the offensive line coach/run game coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings because he did not want to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.

Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported the Vikings parted ways with Dennison on Friday. He held the position for the previous two years.

As Cronin noted, the NFL requires all Tier 1 staff, which includes coaches, front-office executives, equipment managers and scouts, be vaccinated unless they have a "valid religious or medical reason" not to.

Minnesota promoted offensive line coach Phil Rauscher to take over for Dennison.

Dennison has 27 years of NFL coaching experience and has been on the staffs of the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets.

While the NFL doesn't require players to receive the vaccine like Tier 1 staff members, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the league told teams any club that experience a COVID-19 outbreak will forfeit any games that need to be canceled as a result.

What's more, players on both sides will remain unpaid for that game.

There is also the competitive advantage of receiving the vaccine, as those who are vaccinated and test positive can return to play after two negative tests that are spaced 24 hours apart if they are asymptomatic. Those who are not vaccinated must be in isolation for 10 days, which could easily include the day of games.

After the NFL instituted such changes, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins pondered his future in the league in a since-deleted tweet:

DeAndre Hopkins deleted a tweet “questioning [his] future” in the NFL after the league announced any team with a COVID outbreak due to unvaccinated players could result in a forfeit pic.twitter.com/PsOeCWQy4u

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 22, 2021

"I've spoken to NFL players who feel the league changed its tune, going from 'it's your choice' to get the COVID vaccine to now feeling 'forced' (their word, not mine) to get it because of the restrictions for unvaccinated guys," Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed COVID-19 vaccines "safe and effective."

The Vikings will start their season without Dennison on Sept. 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

When Kirk Cousins signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million deal in 2018 that at the time made him the highest-paid player in the league, the deal was hailed as a game-changer for the Vikings. Per USA Today, Cousins said at the time that he planned to make Minnesota his home for a long time. He also made it clear that he was in the Twin Cities for one reason and one reason only.

"Winning is what I said it would be all about, and it's true," Cousins said. "I think (Minnesota) is the best chance, and that's what truly matters."

However, three years into his tenure with the Vikings, the wins haven't come as frequently as either side of the deal had hoped. Over those three seasons, the Vikings are just 25-22-1, and the team has missed the postseason altogether twice, including in 2020.

With the Vikings coming off a losing season, the pressure has ramped up on the franchise. So have the rumbles that Cousins is less the signal-caller who will lead the team to the Promised Land and more a financial anchor around the team's neck.

And unless the Vikings and their veteran quarterback can shake off the mediocrity of the past few years and make a deep playoff run, it's entirely possible that a franchise reset could be in Minnesota's future.

A reset that includes a messy divorce from the soon-to-be 33-year-old quarterback.

Now, you won't hear any gloomy proclamations like that coming from the Vikings in July. This is a time of hope and optimism for all 32 NFL teams, and Minnesota is no different. As Myles Simmons wrote for Pro Football Talk, tight end Irv Smith said that Cousins looked like a man on a mission in OTAs.

"I mean Kirk, he's done a great job, obviously, with the Vikings. Last year, we were a top-five offense. Defensively, obviously, we didn't play too well so our record didn't show for it. But this year, I'm very excited. We've got a lot of weapons on offense. Kirk, he told us he's just a point guard out there. He's just going to deliver the ball and put it in the playmakers' hands and we're going to make some plays. He's playing with a chip on his shoulder. He's got a lot more swagger this year, for sure, and I'm very excited. It's going to be fun."

Smith raises a couple of valid points. The Vikings were a top-five offense in 2020, ranking fourth in yards per game at 393.9. Cousins completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 4,265 yards and a career-high 35 touchdowns while posting a passer rating north of 100 for the second year in a row.

The thing is, no one really questions that Cousins is a good NFL quarterback. Or even a very good NFL quarterback. But after nine years in the league, it has become pretty clear that he's also not a great one.

The Vikings may have been fourth in total offense last year, but the team was 11th in scoring (26.9 points per game) and a so-so 14th in passing (250.6 yards per game). Inside the 20-yard line last year, Cousins' completion percentage dropped below 60. Over his 104 starts with Washington and Minnesota, Cousins is sitting exactly on the .500 line (51-51-2). He's 1-3 in the playoffs (1-2 as a starter), with the lone win following the 2019 regular season against the New Orleans Saints.

In his two postseason starts with the Vikings, Cousins has averaged 207 passing yards a game, has just two touchdowns against one interception and a passer rating of 90.6.

Not terrible, but certainly not great either.

In three seasons with Minnesota, Cousins has led just four game-winning drives. By weight of comparison, Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans had six in 2020 alone. Cousins is 8-16 in night games, a woeful 1-9 on Monday night and a combined 6-7-1 against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

Now, those numbers aren't entirely Cousins' fault. Football is a team sport. But they do appear to show that Cousins isn't a guy who can put a team on his shoulders and carry them to victory.

And for $76 million in cap hits over the next two years, a little carry would be nice.

There has been more than a little speculation that if the Vikings miss the playoffs again in 2021 that head coach Mike Zimmer could be sent packing—and that general manager Rick Spielman could join him. Here's a news flash—Minnesota's chances of making the postseason aren't great.

Assuming that Aaron Rodgers is under center for the Packers in Week 1, the Vikings are at best a distant No. 2 in the NFC North—even with an improved defense this year. Supporters of the Chicago Bears would dispute even that ranking. The Vikings aren't as good as the Packers. Or the Los Angeles Rams. Or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Or the Seattle Seahawks. Add in teams like the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Football Team, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints and it doesn't take long to get an idea of just how crowded the NFC is.

If the Vikings come up short of the playoffs for a third time in four years and Zimmer and Spielman are let go (a pair of perfectly plausible possibilities), then it's a safe bet that one of the first steps a new regime would undertake is making an effort to extricate the team out from under Cousins' contract.

Of course, getting out from under Cousins' deal before it expires at the end of the 2022 season won't be easy. Releasing him next offseason would be cost-prohibitive bordering on impossible—the dead cap hit per Spotrac would be a staggering $45 million. That number would sail past the record $33.8 million the Eagles just ate in the Carson Wentz trade, although it can't be ruled out entirely after what Philly just did.

There is an out of sorts though. If the Vikings can find a trade partner for Cousins, that dead cap hit in 2022 drops to $10 million. That's not insignificant, but it's a lot less than $45 million. And while Cousins' pact contains a whole lot of zeroes, when he re-upped last year it was without a no-trade clause.

Cousins may not relish getting flipped, but he can't stop the Vikings from dealing him.

If the Vikings were to decide to let Cousins play out the final year of his deal in 2022, then he and his camp would likely lobby for an extension...one that could average over $40 million a season given the current market at the position. If the Vikings balked at spending that cash (again), it could set the stage for an offseason (and regular season) of friction between player and team--and maybe even a holdout.

Now, it's possible this could be avoided. Maybe the Vikings can peel off 10 or 11 wins, win a playoff game and convince owner Zygi Wilf to give the status quo one more try or even tack another year or two on Cousins' contract.

But it's more likely that the Vikings will have another so-so year and roll into the 2022 offseason trying to get rid of a quarterback the franchise invested well over $100 million in (with little return on that investment) who won't be even a little bit happy about a forced change of scenery.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson is encouraging fellow NFL players to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 

On the latest episode of his podcast All Things Covered with Bryant McFadden (h/t Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk), Peterson said unvaccinated players could hurt their teams if they miss games because of a positive test or having close contact with someone who tests positive.

"If you’re not vaccinated ... you're just living in a different world, first and foremost," Peterson said. "I just think, why go through those things—why put yourself at risk of going through that again? ... Why not put yourself in the best position possible to win a championship?"

Peterson said he was "perfectly fine" after receiving his vaccination. 

Last week, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley released a statement in which he said he had no intention of getting vaccinated. He wrote: "I'd rather take my chances with Covid and build up my immunity that way. Eat better. Drink water. Exercise and do what I think is necessary to be a healthy individual."

https://twitter.com/Bease11/status/1405971914607239172

The NFL has incentivized players and coaches to get vaccinated by implementing different training camp and preseason protocols for those who are fully vaccinated and those who aren't:

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to updated COVID-19 protocols for 2021 training camp and preseason, per source.

How different will life by for vaccinated and unvaccinated players? From the memo that just went to clubs: pic.twitter.com/8yMPW0JBWZ

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 16, 2021

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters in May that 30 of the 32 teams have more than 90 percent of Tier 1 and Tier 2 coaching staff personnel fully vaccinated. 

Goodell didn't address the number of players who have been vaccinated. 

Peterson is entering his first season with the Vikings after spending the previous 10 years with the Arizona Cardinals.