A vaccinated Minnesota Vikings player is hospitalized and 29 members of the organization are in the COVID-19 protocol as close contacts, head coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday.
Zimmer, who is part of the group in the protocol, did not identify the player, but ESPN said it was guard Dakota Dozier. He was admitted to the hospital after having trouble breathing, per the report.
Dozier went on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday.
“He’s stable now, but it was scary,” Zimmer told reporters.
Dozier is one of five players on the COVID-19 list, including starting center Garrett Bradbury and starting safety Harrison Smith. Cases of COVID-19 are surging in Minnesota, with the state adding 7,165 new cases on Tuesday, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
The 30-year-old Dozier is in his seventh NFL season and third with the Vikings. He has appeared in three games (no starts) this season but started all 16 and played 100 percent of the snaps in 2020 for Minnesota.
The Vikings (3-5) are on the road this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3).
