Minnesota Vikings Player Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 Issues

A Minnesota Vikings player was hospitalized due to COVID-19 issues, according to multiple reports. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer confirmed a player went to the emergency room due to shortness of breath. The player was still in the hospital Wednesday, but Zimmer said he is "stable now." Zimmer never released the player's name, but according to ESPN, the player is offensive lineman Dakota Dozier. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday and is fully vaccinated. 

"It's serious stuff, so, I don't know," Zimmer said. "Like 29 guys are getting tested because of close contact, including myself. Just do what we do." Zimmer was also asked if the player's reaction was from the vaccine (booster) or COVID-19.  "No, it was COVID. I'm not a doctor, but it was COVID pneumonia or something -- he had a hard time breathing." Dozier is one of the five players the Vikings put on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Two of them are offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury and safety Harrison Smith.

This news comes as the Vikings' rival, the Green Bay Packers, are dealing with their COVID-19 issues. The team was fined $300,000 for violating COVID-19 protocols. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was also fined for not attending a party unvaccinated while not wearing a mask. Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 last week and told reporters in August he was "immunized" leading many to believe he was vaccinated. 

"I made some comments that people might have felt were misleading. And to anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments," Rodgers said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show. "I understand that this issue, in general, is very charging to a lot of people because we are talking about public health. I totally respect that. I made a decision that was in the best interest based on consulting with my doctors. And I understand that not everybody is going to understand that necessarily. But I respect everybody's opinion."  

Dozier, 30, was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round in 2014. After spending five seasons with the Jets, Dozier signed with the Vikings in 2019 and started all 16 games last year. He played college football at Furman where he was a unanimous All-American in 2013.