Vikings Vaccinated Guard Dakota Dozier Reportedly Admitted to ER with COVID

A Minnesota Vikings player who has been vaccinated against COVID-19 was admitted to the emergency room this week for treatment after contracting the virus, Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday.

Reports about the hospitalized player cited ESPN reporter Courtney Cronin, who said on Twitter Wednesday morning that a source told her Vikings guard Dakota Dozier was the one admitted to the ER for treatment.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Zimmer did not name the player, who he said is now in stable condition but still in the hospital.

"One of our players that was vaccinated, he had to go to the ER last night because of COVID," Zimmer said. "I mean, it's serious stuff."

When a reporter asked if the player's hospitalization was due to receiving a vaccine or to the virus itself, Zimmer confirmed the player had a COVID-19 infection and was experiencing difficulty breathing at the time he was admitted to the ER.

"I'm not a doctor, but it was, like, COVID pneumonia or something. He had a hard time breathing," Zimmer said.

"He's stable now," Zimmer added. 'But it was scary."

The Vikings said on November 5 that the team had added Dozier to its COVID-19 reserve list.

Earlier this week, the Vikings said two other players—linebacker Ryan Connelly and offensive tackle Timon Parris—had also been placed on the team's COVID-19 reserve list. Three other players, including Dozier, were added to the team's COVID-19 list last week.

Several people on the team were getting tested for the virus in the wake of the latest infections.

"Like 29 guys are getting tested because of close contact, including myself," Zimmer told reporters.

According to the NFL, vaccinated players are tested for the virus once every week but have the option of being tested more often, while unvaccinated players are expected to get a COVID-19 test every day. Individuals who are identified as close contacts with someone who tested positive for the virus are also expected to be tested every day "as appropriate," according to the league's guidelines.

By Tuesday, the NFL reported 94.4 percent of its players had been vaccinated, with "nearly" 100 percent of league personnel also vaccinated. The league said Tuesday a total of 94 players had tested positive for the virus between August 1 and October 30 during "routine monitoring testing."

The NFL said in a Tuesday press release new positive cases are "expected" throughout the current football season due to the "prevalence of the COVID-19 infection in communities."

"As conditions change, so will the NFL-NFLPA protocols to prevent as many cases of COVID-19 as possible and to ensure the health of the players, coaches and personnel," the league's release said.

Newsweek reached out to the NFL for comment and will update this article with any response.

Update 10/10/21, 2:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.