Coronavirus: NFL’s Kirk Cousins says he’s not afraid to die, wears a mask as courtesy to others

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said in a recent “10 Questions With Kyle Brandt” podcast that while he will follow protocols required by the NFL, he’s not concerned about COVID-19.

As the NFL’s kickoff game between Super Bowl champions Kansas City hosting Houston approaches, questions arise about the challenges on and off the field surrounding the virus. In an interview published Wednesday, Brandt asked Cousins what it’s like to return to the field during the pandemic.

Cousins explained that for everyone it’s easy when working out in a smaller group, there is less concern but when he’s out on the field, an accidental sneeze can make players worry.

“What you don’t know is who’s where on the spectrum when you first go back? Some of it is when you’re with a smaller group and you know everyone in the group, you know, is not as concerned, then is there a way to not freak out when someone sneezes? The flip side is, yeah, if you’re in a huddle and one of these guys is definitely concerned about it, you’re not going to disrespect him and sneeze in his face,” Cousins told Brandt.

Brandt then asked Cousins to answer the question on a scale of 1 to 10 on how Cousins feels about masks.

“On that spectrum, if 1 is the person who says masks are stupid, you’re all a bunch of lemmings, and 10 is I’m not leaving my master bathroom for the next 10 years, where do you land?” Brandt asked Cousins.

“I’m not going to call anybody stupid for the trouble it could get me in, but I’m about a .000001,” Cousins replied.

Cousins went on to clarify the response saying that he respects other people’s concerns regarding the virus and his response is strictly on his own concern about getting the virus. He went on to say he has made “peace about that.”

“For me personally, if you’re just talking no one else can get the virus, what is your concern if you could get it, I would say I’m going to go about my daily life. If I get it, I’m going to ride it out. I’m going to let nature do its course. Survival-of-the-fittest kind of approach. And just say, if it knocks me out, it knocks me out. I’m going to be O.K. You know, even if I die. If I die, I die. I kind of have peace about that. That’s really where I fall on it, so my opinion of wearing a mask is really being respectful to other people. It really has nothing to do with my own personal thoughts,” Cousins said in the interview.

In July, Cousins tweeted his concern about health and safety as football season approaches.

The NFL had 67 players opt out of the season, but a vast majority of players, coaches, executives and, for certain, owners, are returning to work despite the risk COVID-19 presents.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.