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.