Vikings keep Cousins out of practice due to illness

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was absent from practice Thursday because of an illness, coach Kevin O’Connell said.

Cousins was sent home after reporting he wasn’t feeling well. O’Connell did not specify the symptoms. He confirmed the Vikings were evaluating Cousins for COVID-19.

Minnesota’s first exhibition game is Sunday at Las Vegas, so it’s possible Cousins would skip the trip considering established starters are not expected to play much, if at all. The coaches were still determining their playing time plan for the game, O’Connell said, but those decisions won’t be finalized until Saturday before the flight.

Cousins was forced to sit out five days of training camp in 2021 due to the NFL’s rules for close contacts to known cases of COVID-19. He was in league protocols for unvaccinated players last season. After testing positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 31, Cousins had to miss the game at Green Bay.

The league suspended all coronavirus protocols in March. The current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is for people who test positive to isolate from others for at least five days. Isolation can end, the CDC says, if they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication and experiencing improvement in symptoms.