MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings insist Sunday’s practice at Training Camp was business as usual, but the day started with news that eight players, one coach and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The Vikings hadn’t had a positive test since camp started, until those results were made public. The Vikings didn’t release the names of the 12 who tested positive, but the players who were absent from Sunday’s practice included Dillon Mitchell, Alexander Hollins, C.J. Ham, Eric Kendricks, Ezra Cleveland, Kenny Willekes, Nakia Griffin-Stewart and Jalyn Holmes. Ryan Ficken, an assistant special teams coach, was also absent from practice.
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8 Vikings players expected to resume practice after false positive COVID-19 tests
The Minnesota Vikings insist Sunday’s practice at Training Camp was business as usual, but the day started with news that eight players, one coach and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
Defensive end Danielle Hunter was present, but also did not practice for the seventh straight day.
As it turns out, the 12 were false positives due to an isolated contamination issue in one of the labs Bio Reference uses for tests. The NFL had 77 positive cases across 11 teams over the weekend that ended up being false. The Vikings had the most of any NFL team.
The eight players who were absent Sunday were expected to be on the field for Monday’ afternoon’s workout at TCO Performance Center. Offensive lineman Dakota Dozier said Monday via Zoom while we’re in unprecedented times, players can’t let COVID-19 testing be a distraction when they’re on the field.
“You’ve just got to go out there and go to practice, go to work and do the best you can. Obviously things are going to happen, but we can’t let it change our focus,” Dozier said.
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8 Vikings players absent from Sunday practice after presumptive positive COVID-19 tests
The Minnesota Vikings have confirmed that eight players, one coach and three staff members have presumptive positive COVID-19 tests and will not participate in Sunday's practice.
Mike Zimmer called Sunday’s developments good practice, in the event a similar situation happens during the regular season. Co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson said other than a reduced roster on Sunday, it was business as usual in Eagan. There didn’t seem to be any anxiety or uneasiness among players on the field.
“That was the great part. The guys didn’t blink an eye, Coach Zim didn’t blink an eye, Sug (Eric Sugarman) did a great job of coming in and expressing to us what was going on,” Patterson said.” We followed the protocol, we had a great practice yesterday, there was no anxiety, there was nobody worried or walking around, trying to see who was here or who wasn’t here. Guys did an outstanding job.”
Patterson added they’ll treat it like a player getting hurt the day before a game, or somebody waking up on game day and not feeling well. They’re not going to look for sympathy, next man up.
“Hopefully we deal with it like we did yesterday. It is what it is. You’ve just got to go play, they’re not going to cancel the game,” Patterson said. “Whoever you play is not going to feel sorry for you, you’ve just got to go deal with it and you go play and you have confidence in the guys that are going to go out there and play.”
Having eight players sit out practice meant others farther down on the depth chart got more reps, and more chances to impress the coaching staff.
That’s how rookie defensive end D.J. Wonnum, a fourth round draft pick out of South Carolina, looked at it.
“Just taking advantage of the day. Guys are out, so you’ve got to step up. It gives you more reps, more opportunities to go out there and showcase and do the things you can do,” Wonnum said.
It’s the new reality of trying to play football in the middle of a global health pandemic.