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Minnesota Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf is concerned over vaccine hesitancy among his players. The Vikings are down three of four quarterbacks due to COVID-19 protocols. Quarterback Kellen Mond tested posiitve for the coronavirus last week and since Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley weren't vaccinated, where were deemed as high-risk contacts and ordered to quarantine.
Jake Browning, the only vaccinated Vikings quarterback, is currently the only available quarterback for his team. "We're very concerned," Wilf said, per ESPN. "I think it's safe to say that our No. 1 priority is the health and safety of our players, our coaches, our staff and, ultimately, the entire community.
From that standpoint, we really are encouraging people to take the vaccines, to get vaccinated. "We're proud of the fact that we've partnered with the State of Minnesota to have our facility here used as a vaccination center in the offseason.
We just want everybody to follow the protocols. We're trying to educate everyone in the organization, the team, to make sure and get the vaccinations. Of course with the delta variant and other new permutations going on, we just want to make sure to preserve the health and safety.
That's the standpoint that we come from as ownership and as an organization."
Vikings players having hard time taking a vaccinate
"I talked to the team and, like I said before, there are quite a few guys that are just against it," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on Monday.
"I'm not going to be able to change their mind, so, it's like half the country, I guess." Wilf hopes more of VIkings players will come out and decide to take a vaccine. "The competitive side is of course concerning but, again, our focus is on health and safety," Wilf said.
"We care about the players and the team and, from that standpoint, they happen to be aligned. But the fact is, we're encouraging vaccinations. We're talking about a serious health pandemic, and it's something we want to make sure that our players, our staff, our coaches, that they're fully informed of what's involved here.
From that standpoint, I think the way Coach Zimmer and Rick Spielman and the entire football team has handled this is the right way -- in terms of making sure we provide the resources, as ownership, that everyone is educated and has the opportunity to understand all the facts."