Vikings coach Mike Zimmer vents on team's vaccination situation

• NFL

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has vented on his team's vaccination situation as he fears some of his key players will be forced to miss games during the regular season. The Vikings are currently down three of their four quarterbacks.

On Saturday, quarterback Kellen Mond tested positive for the coronavirus and quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley were ordered to quarantine for five days since they weren't vaccinated. Jake Browning is the only vaccinated Vikings quarterback so he didn't have to quarantine.

"I just feel like we're going to have guys miss games," Zimmer said, per ESPN. "There are so many cases going on right now. We're going to have guys miss some games and we have to be prepared for it." Zimmer suggested everything would be much easier if all of his players were willing to take a vaccine.

"Going through all the things you had to do last year with masks, protocol, traveling, can't leave for a day, can't go out and see your family and all the things -- can't go out to dinner on the road, have to wear masks on the plane, all that stuff.

It was just difficult," Zimmer said. "I just don't understand. I just don't understand. I think we could put this thing to bed if we all do this. But it is what it is."

Zimmer underlines he can't change mind of some of his players

"I talked to the team, and like I said before, there are quite a few guys that are just against it," Zimmer said.

"I'm not going to be able to change their mind, so, it's like half the country, I guess." When asked how would he feel if the Vikings lost a game because their starting quarterback or a star player was unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols, Zimmer said: "Probably won't be happy we lost the game, first, and I probably won't be happy we could've prevented this.

Like I said, these guys, some of them just won't do it. I shouldn't say it, but some of the things they read is just, whew, out there. "It's their beliefs, so. I don't know if it's misinformation. It's their belief, so whatever they've heard or read or been told.

Not from -- maybe they don't believe what [NFL chief medical officer] Dr. [Allen] Sills and the NFL is telling them either, so."