The Vikings' cornerback group was already thin after the bye week, with Mike Hughes and Holton Hill still not practicing because of injuries. On Wednesday afternoon, they had to use the NFL's COVID-19 reserve list for the first time since training camp on another one of their corners.
The team placed rookie Cameron Dantzler on the reserve list Wednesday, after Dantzler was not seen at their afternoon practice. Dantzler's placement on the list either means he tested positive for the coronavirus or was in close contact with someone who did. Vikings players were required to stay in the Twin Cities and undergo daily COVID-19 testing at the team facility during the bye week.
Dantzler's placement on the list means he could miss the team's game against the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The NFL updated its coronavirus protocol last week, requiring players to isolate for five days if they're deemed a "high-risk" close contact with an individual who tested positive.
The Vikings added cornerback Mark Fields to the active roster on Monday, and claimed former Lions cornerback Chris Jones off waivers, while adding Marcus Sayles — who spent part of the offseason with the team — to the practice squad.
When asked on Wednesday about the batch of new players in the secondary, coach Mike Zimmer said, "Well, we've had guys hurt. What else? It's a five-day, six-day [process] before they can enter [the building] so if guys are hurt, it's going to take a while for them to get up to speed, and we don't know if these other guys can play or not, so we'll just see."