Vikings Place QBs Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond, Nate Stanley on Reserve/COVID List

Vikings quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond, and Nate Stanley were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday, according to the NFL's transactions wire. That frees up some space on the roster for the team to sign one or both of QBs Case Cookus and Jackson Erdmann, who are set to work out with the team on Monday and could be available for Minnesota's first padded practice of training camp this afternoon.

Whoever is signed will join Jake Browning as the Vikings' only available quarterbacks for practice, unless Mond happens to be activated on Monday. Browning was the only QB able to practice on Saturday night, and he took full advantage of the opportunity with an impressive performance that may have solidified his status as Cousins' primary backup.

This saga began with the news on Saturday that Mond had tested positive for COVID and that Cousins and Stanley were deemed high-risk close contacts. Mond, who has reportedly been vaccinated, will be able to return as soon as he has two consecutive negative tests over a 24-hour period, per league protocols. So that could be as soon as Monday.

Cousins and Stanley, because they are not vaccinated, are out for a minimum of five days. The earliest they could return is Thursday, provided they have negative tests on all five of those days.

It wouldn't be surprising to see either Cookus or Erdmann take over as the fourth QB for the rest of camp even once Stanley is eligible to return. Unlike an established star like Cousins or Adam Thielen, Stanley hasn't been good enough to warrant the headaches of having an unvaccinated player on the roster.