Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has been staunch in his opposition to being vaccinated for COVID-19. Now, the veteran signal-caller will miss Sunday’s preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders because he tested positive for the virus.
#Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell tells reporters that QB Kirk Cousins has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday's preseason opener at Las Vegas. On backup QBs, Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond, he said, "No matter who starts, they’ll both play a ton.”
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 12, 2022
It was little more than a year ago when Cousins dug in on his position against being vaccinated.
“I think the vaccination decision is a private. very private health matter for me. I’m going to keep it as such. I do believe as a leader of the team, it’s very important to follow the protocols and 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. I’ve even thought about, ‘Should I just set up, literally, Plexiglas around where I sit, so this could never happen again?’ I’ve thought about it, because I’m going to do whatever it takes. We’re going to avoid this close contact thing, and look forward to make sure I’m playing every game this year.”
Kirk Cousins is doubling down on his anti-vax ridiculousness https://t.co/Uc8Mf3bthj
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 5, 2021
Doug Farrar offered an important commentary at the time, which stands true now:
America’s fight to get past COVID and return to any level of normalcy has been affected to a disturbing degree by a certain percentage of people who insist more on their rights to be super-spreaders than their responsibility to themselves and those around them, and that’s just something we’re all going to have to live with — if we can. This brings up all kinds of questions about responsibility to one’s self and one’s teammates, but in Cousins’ case, it seems that if he’s in any kind of COVID box, it’s the fault of those around him, and if he wants to build a wall (gee, where have we heard THAT before), he’s not going to be moved from that position.
Whether he would be moved with a positive test that would keep him away from the game he loves, and would prevent him from helping his teammates and coaches as much as possible, we do not know. But we suspect a particular answer that would simply kick the problem forward.
- Which helps nobody — least of all, Cousins himself.
