The Vikings have placed wide receiver Adam Thielen on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced on Monday.
As always, players who are put on the list don’t necessarily have the virus; they may have just been exposed to it.
Thielen is coming off a game against the Cowboys where he had 123 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs. One of the touchdown grabs was a one-handed catch.
Minnesota has other receiving targets — Justin Jefferson and Irv Smith Jr. to name a few — but none have been as good near the red zone this season as Thielen. There’s no telling whether he will be out for the Week 12 game against the Carolina Panthers, but his hypothetical absence would certainly hurt the team.
Last week, the Vikings placed C.J. Ham on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He was activated before the game against Dallas.