EAGAN, Minn. – Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will not travel with the team to Las Vegas.
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell told media members Friday that Cousins tested positive for COVID-19 and will be away from the team and facility until Tuesday. According to O'Connell, the results were confirmed with "a couple" PCR tests
The Vikings are slated to kick off against the Raiders at 3:25 p.m. (CT) Sunday.
"He's feeling pretty darn good and has limited symptoms," O'Connell said. "He's wearing me out about the install this morning, and the plan for Sunday. Unfortunately, he will not make the trip.
"He should, by the protocol standards, be back by Tuesday morning and ready to roll for our Niners [joint] practices," O'Connell added. "As always, we'll keep you guys posted."
Cousins missed Thursday's walk-through and practice sessions with an illness.
Though the NFL no longer has daily testing protocols in place, players and coaches are asked to self-disclose symptoms and receive a test if not feeling well.
"I like the way he handled it – reporting the symptoms and just going through the in-house process that we have here," O'Connell said. "I'm proud of the way [he] did that – ultimately looking out for his teammates – and we'll get him back and ready to roll as soon as possible."
Backup quarterbacks Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond, who continue to compete for the No. 2 spot, emphasized they are confident in the playbook and have been prepping for Sunday's game regardless of Cousins' status.
"We'll figure out a good game plan for those guys," O'Connell said. "No matter who starts, they're both going to play a ton. A big evaluation game for us for those two guys. They've done a lot of really good things in camp, and now we get to watch them play against a [different] defensive structure, different coverages. I think it'll be really good for those guys."
O'Connell said the current plan is to split Sunday's game reps 50-50 between Mannion and Mond.
This is the second time Cousins has tested positive for the virus; last season, he was sidelined for Minnesota's Week 17 game against Green Bay. Mannion started that contest, with Mond being the backup QB.
