With three quarterbacks sidelined by COVID-19 protocols, Vikings pick up Case Cookus, Danny Etling
Aug. 2—With COVID-19 protocols keeping three Vikings quarterbacks out of practice to start the week, the team on Monday signed Case Cookus and claimed Danny Etling off waivers from Seattle.
Cookus, a former Northern Arizona star, tried out at the TCO Performance Center on Monday morning, signed his deal and practiced with the team in the afternoon. Also trying out were former St. John's star Jackson Erdmann, a Rosemount native, and former Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald, but neither was signed.
After Monday's practice, it was learned that the Vikings had put in a successful waiver claim for Etling, who was let go Sunday after the Seahawks signed former Minnesota quarterback Sean Mannion. Etling was a seventh-round pick by New England in 2018. After spending time with the Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, he was on Seattle's practice squad last season.
A source said that Etling flew on Monday to the Twin Cities and would take a physical on Tuesday morning. If all goes well, he is expected to practice Tuesday.
For last Saturday night's practice, the Vikings were without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and reserves Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley. Mond tested positive for COVID-19 and Cousins and Stanley were deemed high-risk close contacts. All three were placed on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday. Cousins and Stanley are expected to be quarantined for at least five days.
Sources said that Cookus and Etling are both fully vaccinated.
Jake Browning, who is vaccinated, was the only quarterback available Saturday, and he looked good in the practice. According to unofficial stats compiled by Vikings.com, he completed 26 of 37 passes.
The Vikings did not practice Sunday.
As a senior at Northern Arizona in 2019, Cookus completed 290 of 481 passes for 4,095 yards with 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions. After being undrafted, he was with the Giants last year from April 28 to Aug. 2. This year, he was with the Broncos from May 17-20.
Cookus flew from his native California on Sunday to the Twin Cities and arrived at the team hotel at about 11 p.m. He was picked by at 6 a.m. Monday by a shuttle and taken to the TCO Performance Center to prepare for his tryout.
"I was a little sleepy," he said after Monday's practice. "I'm going to go home and sleep pretty good (Monday night)."
Cookus said it wasn't easy taking the field for his first practice.
"It felt like I was learning the whole time, kind of like the first day of school, kind of taking it all in," he said. "But overall we've got some guys out there who were helping me out as it's going, a lot of coaches and even the players, kind of getting me caught up. It was a first day (Monday). I'm going to get going with that playbook a little more and start trying to be as comfortable as I can..
