Vikings Place Cornerback Cameron Dantzler on Reserve/COVID-19 List Due to Positive Test

It's early in the week, so Dantzler could still return for Sunday's game against the Lions.

Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the NFL's Reserve/COVID list on Monday, according to multiple reports. The team has confirmed the news.

This creates some additional uncertainty surrounding the Vikings' CB room and who will be available to play in Week 5 against the Lions. Dantzler is coming off a strong game on Sunday against the Browns, replacing starter Bashaud Breeland six plays into the contest and staying out there for the final 72 defensive snaps. Breeland was dealing with an illness.

It's early in the week, so the fully vaccinated Dantzler will have a chance to return in time for Sunday's game if he's not showing any symptoms and tests negative later in the week. It's unclear if anyone else will have to go on the COVID list due to contact tracing.

Against Cleveland, Dantzler allowed just one catch for 12 yards on four targets in his coverage and was one of the Vikings' highest-graded defensive players, per Pro Football Focus. He was excellent in run defense and was mostly in good positions in coverage, although Baker Mayfield's struggles with accuracy helped everyone in the Vikings' secondary.

Dantzler's up-and-down year has been discussed at length on this website and elsewhere. The 2020 third-round pick had a promising rookie year, was a starter heading into the offseason, plummeted down the depth chart to the point where he was a healthy scratch in Week 1, and posted some tweets that he probably shouldn't have posted after not playing much in Week 3.

Still, both times this season when he's gotten an opportunity — in Weeks 2 and 4 — Dantzler has looked like a clearly better player than Breeland, the journeyman veteran who has had a really rough start to the season.

So now the Vikings have Breeland sick, Dantzler on the COVID list, and both Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand dealing with injuries in recent weeks. Right now, it's hard to know who will start opposite Patrick Peterson at outside corner against the Lions.

The Vikings also announced that they released wide receiver Whop Philyor from the practice squad. Could that be to make room for another corner?

This story will be updated if we learn more about this situation.

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