Kirk Cousins tests positive for COVID-19, won’t play Sunday vs. Raiders

Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t play in the preseason opener on Sunday vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings face the 49ers and Broncos in their other preseason contests before the regular season begins. Minnesota could sit Cousins for most of the preseason since he’s a veteran. It was unclear whether or not Cousins was going to play in the preseason opener.

Update — Per coach Kevin O’Connell, Cousins has minimal symptoms and can return to practice as soon as next Tuesday.

It’s worth noting Cousins is unvaccinated, so his positive test could hold him out for at least a week or so. We’ll see how serious Cousins’ symptoms are and if it will affect his status for Week 2 of preseason vs. San Fran. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Vikings, who will get a longer look at backup QBs Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond. Chances are those two were going to see the bulk of the snaps during preseason anyway.

The Raiders were favored -170 on the moneyline and -3.5 on the spread against Minnesota on DraftKings Sportsbook. Chances are the lines won’t move dramatically because of this news but they may be adjusted a bit. If Cousins were going to play in the opener, he likely would have played a series or two in the first quarter before leaving. It seems most NFL teams are playing starters in the second preseason game.