Mike Zimmer: Sean Mannion will start on Sunday night with Kirk Cousins out

Posted by Michael David Smith on December 31, 2021, 1:41 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings v Carolina Panthers
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Vikings coach Mike Zimmer announced today that Sean Mannion will be his starting quarterback on Sunday night against the Packers.

Kirk Cousins tested positive for COVID-19 and will not play Sunday. Cousins is unvaccinated.

Mannion was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list this week, but Zimmer said Mannion has been cleared to return and there was no thought to giving any other quarterback the chance to start. Rookie third-round pick Kellen Mond will back Mannion up. Kyle Sloter is the other quarterback on the Vikings’ roster.

Mannion was a third-round pick of the Rams out of Oregon State in 2015 and has spent most of the last three years with the Vikings. He has played very sparingly in his NFL career and hasn’t looked particularly good when he did play, but Zimmer said he believes the team will rally around Mannion in a crucial game against the Packers.

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43 responses to “Mike Zimmer: Sean Mannion will start on Sunday night with Kirk Cousins out”

  1. With a backup QB, Minnesota will do to GB what Dallas did to Minnesota .

    Minnesota: 29
    GB: 4

  7. This is a smart play by Zimmer.

    Lambeau Field, in primetime, in record cold, for possibly their playoff lives, just seems like a recipe for disaster for a rookie QB. Especially a rookie QB you appear to be actually developing for the future.

    The risk in playing Mond over Mannion just doesn’t seem worth it.

  8. There’s no reason not to start Mond. Except it would be the final nail in the coffin for Zimmer and Spielman.

  9. I used to like Zimmer…but pulling this nonsense is a slap in the face to the team and the fans…inexcusable…

  10. We dont know for sure about Mond being a bust, but for God’s sake Mike Z start him and see. Vikings will lose anyway. Starting Mannion is just poor coaching. Goodbye Coach Zimmer.

  11. “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?”

    This is a pretty good theme song for the Wilfs to ring in the New Year. Fits their playoff hopes, their head coach, and their GM. Wait until next year, v62.0.

  12. This is a smart play by Zimmer. Lambeau Field, in primetime, in record cold, for possibly their playoff lives, just seems like a recipe for disaster for a rookie QB. Especially a rookie QB you appear to be actually developing for the future. The risk in playing Mond over Mannion just doesn’t seem worth it.

  13. If Kellen Mond isn’t ready to play yet, give Sloter a shot if Mannion doesn’t produce a miracle by halftime.

  15. Poetic justice that unvaccinated Cousins will not be able to play. Another guy that let down his teammates and the organization that pays him millions. Good going Kirk.

  17. Thank you for the #1 seed Cousins. If you want we will give you the key to the city like we did for Nathan Poole who got us in the playoffs in ’04.

    Sincerely,
    All Packer Fans.

  18. I think Zimmer goes with Mannion as he at least has some NFL experience but I’m not expecting him to air it out very often. Packers Run D is last in yards per attempt so expect a healthy dose of Cook, Mattison and Nwangwu.

  19. Was never a fan of Cousins but his selfishness has hurt the team and that’s all that matters. After his contract is done he won’t get another starting job in the NFL. Some players are just can’t lead a team to victory.

  20. Id prefer Sloter. I have no doubt that Mannion knows this offense inside and out. Its just that he is just not a very good athlete.
    What a way to end the season.

  22. Cook gets 40 carries for 200 yards and GB special teams commit a few blunders. Game will be closer than people think.

  23. Tells you all you need to know about Kellen Mond, who’s probably the equal of the Packers’ 4th string QB, Randall Cobb.

  24. “Mannion will start” . Those are the key words and it doesn’tsay he’ll finish; nobody knows what kind of progress Mond has made since he hasn’t played .

  26. With a couple of days left, if Rodgers ends up on the Covid list or is unable to play because of his toe, it could make for a very interesting sleeper.

  27. With a couple of days left, if Rodgers ends up on the Covid list or is unable to play because of his toe, it could make for a very interesting sleeper.

    ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Rodgers can’t be tested for Covid until 2 days after the NFC Championship game.

  28. Maybe Spielman begged Zimmer not to start Mond and expose his draft choice — “hey, Zim, go out there with Mannion, no sense in getting us both fired…”

  31. What difference does it make? Did anyone think Cousins was going to go into Green Bay and put on a clinic?

  32. Doesn’t say much for Mond, Does that surprise anyone. Anyways Vikes lose next two games better draft picks for next GM and Coach.

  35. Cousins better enjoy his last couple of years of a high salary. Can’t imagine any team being foolish enough to trust him when this contract he’s on runs out. He’s the epitome of a selfish stat padder.

  36. People braying for Mond are abject morons. This isn’t a preseason game, it’s subzero Lambeau Field against the Conference’s top team trying to protect it’s #1 seed. That doesn’t mean Mannion is going to do anything but dropping Mond into a meat grinder like that with even less experience than Mannion is cosmically absurd. For all of the football rubes watch they are really thick about the game. The season has been over for weeks, due to really bad and tough losses combined with just ridiculous roster losses. The team has played pretty much the whole season without its 2 defensive ends and has rarely had Cook, Jefferson and Thielen on the field in the same game. Just stop asking for a Mond exhibition in this moment, you sound like fools.

  38. Pretty obvious, just hand the ball off to Cook and Mattison over and over again until green bay can stop them

  40. Washington sure looks smart not signing Cousins to a large contract. Guess the Vikings should have asked them why they didn’t. Oh well. Another five years down the tubes.

  41. People bashing cousins for not being vaccinated are just dumb.. vaccinated or not he wouldn’t be playing on Sunday. Plenty of vaccinated players testing positive and sitting games.. But I am finally excited to watch a Vikings game since we have seen what you get with cousins.. hopefully they bench mannion and throwing the young guy

  42. If GB and it’s defense doesn’t put 8 guys at the line of scrimmage to stop the run, the D coordinator should be fired on the spot. Seriously .. on the spot.

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