Does Mike Zimmer think Adam Thielen will play this week?
By Adam Patrick
Did the Minnesota Vikings head coach share anything new about the status of their top receiver?
Less than 24 hours after their disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys this past weekend, the Minnesota Vikings were handed some pretty significant news about their top wide receiver, Adam Thielen.
The Vikings had to place Thielen on their Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday and now there’s a chance that he might not be available for Week 12 when they take on the Carolina Panthers.
Not having their top receiver on the field would terrible news for a Vikings team that really cannot afford to lose too many more games if they are going to sneak into the playoffs this season.
Mike Zimmer comments on the status of the Minnesota Vikings receiver
On Wednesday, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer met virtually with the local Twin Cities media and he was asked about Thielen’s chances to play against the Panthers on Sunday. Here’s what Zimmer had to say about his top receiver.
"“I don’t know, honestly. Obviously, he’s in the COVID protocol. When you get in these protocols, it’s always about what’s the next test. So we just have to see as the week goes on.”"
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Tuesday, Thielen apparently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, and then his results from another test came back negative.
So it doesn’t sound like Zimmer is trying to hide anything in regards to Thielen’s status for Week 12 because the head coach probably just doesn’t know what the league will do to determine if the receiver is allowed to play or not.
It’s possible that Thielen’s positive test could’ve actually been a false positive. If this ends up being the case, then his chances of playing against Carolina on Sunday are pretty high.
It’s certainly a situation to keep an eye on since Thielen is the Vikings leader in catches and touchdown receptions this season. Without him on Sunday, Minnesota could suffer their second loss in a row and see their playoff hopes vanish entirely.