A Michigan hospital cut ties with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins over the athlete’s stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Holland Hospital announced the end of a sponsorship agreement Friday with the quarterback, who has been unwilling to share whether he’s received the vaccine — though Cousins recently spent time on the reserve COVID-19 list after being in close contact with a player who tested positive for the virus.
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The hospital acknowledged that Cousins “is entitled to their own viewpoints.” But it added: “Those who speak on our behalf must support messages that align with the hospital’s position on matters of vital importance to individual and community health.”
Cousins, who said last year that he was taking a “survival of the fittest” approach to the coronavirus pandemic, insisted during a Thursday press conference that he is “going to be vigilant about avoiding a close contact.” Cousins also said he would be willing to “just set up literally plexiglass around where I sit so that this can never happen again.”
The quarterback has said he doesn’t have a problem cooperating with the league’s NFL COVID-19 protocols, though vaccination “is a very private health matter for me.”
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The league has not mandated the vaccine for players, but those who are not vaccinated are subject to strict rules during training camp and throughout the season, while vaccinated players face less stringent policies, though that could change. A handful of assistant coaches have reportedly been pushed out of their positions over their refusal to get vaccinated.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a July 22 memo to every team explaining the league’s policy that organizations with COVID-19 outbreaks could forfeit games that are unable to be rescheduled within the confines of the season.
Ninety percent of the players are vaccinated, the league announced last Tuesday. Nine teams have hit the 95% threshold, and 27 of the 32 teams have hit the 85% marker.
