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Kirk Cousins has officially been ruled out for the Minnesota Vikings game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season. He tested positive for Covid-19 during the week leading up to the game. As an unvaccinated player, Kirk Cousins has automatically been ruled out for this week. He will need to clear additional protocols before he is eligible to return.
Kirk Cousins has officially been ruled out for Week 17
Kirk Cousins has been extremely durable in his career. In six seasons, between 2015 and 2020, he missed just one game. He has played in every game so far in the 2021 NFL season, but will unfortunately be unable to play in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers. It's not an injury that will keep him, but rather a positive Covid-19 test.
Kirk Cousins being unavailable is a huge loss for the Minnesota Vikings. They are currently battling for a Wild Card spot in the NFC Playoffs. They have a 7-8 record this year and need a strong finish in their last two games to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. This week brings a difficult challenge, as the Green Bay Packers own the best record in the entire NFL.
The last time the Packers lost a game this season was in their first meeting with the Vikings. In fact, that was only Aaron Rodgers' second loss of the entire season and his first since all the way back in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. Kirk Cousins was hoping to lead the Vikings in their pursuit of a second victory against their NFC North division rivals. Unfortunately, that will not happen.
Instead, the Vikings have named veteran back-up quarterback Sean Mannion as their starter for their Week 17 game. Mannion hasn't been on the field since 2019, and his career numbers are uninspiring. Appearing in 13 total games, he has accumulated just 384 passing yards and thrown three interceptions. He has accounted for zero touchdowns in his seven-year career.
Veteran Sean Mannion was selected to replace Kirk Cousins this week rather than their rookie quarterback, Kellen Mond, who will serve as the back-up. Mond has not appeared in any games yet in his career, but could possibly get an opportunity to play this week if Mannion were to struggle.
