"The Minnesota Vikings are expected to be without three quarterbacks, including starter Kirk Cousins, for tonight's practice following rookie QB Kellen Mond testing positive for COVID-19, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
Cousins and Nate Stanley are high-risk close contacts and the team is going through contact tracing, Pelissero added.
In June, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to COVID-19 protocols for training camp, which outlined the different rules for fully vaccinated and unvaccinated players. Of note: Fully vaccinated individuals who have been exposed to a person who tests positive will not be considered a high-risk close contact.
Saturday's news came shortly after the Vikings released a statement that read in part "due to the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols, multiple players will be held out of tonight's practice inside TCO Stadium."
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer later spoke to reporters, but declined to talk about specific names in regard to the day's developments, but did say "that's why people should get vaccinated," per the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson.
In light of the Delta variant of COVID spreading, Zimmer underscored that he believes it's key to get vaccinated.
"This Delta variant is tough and you can see the cases going up. For the sake of everybody it's important, but some don't see it that way," Zimmer said.
Jake Browning is expected to get all of the practice reps in Saturday's practice, Pelissero reported.
"It's important to be available when you're playing football in a team sport," Zimmer said of Browning being vaccinated.
Mond, a rookie from Texas A&M, was drafted by the Vikings in the third round (66th overall) this year. Mond, Stanley nor Browning has ever taken an NFL regular-season snap.
