Vikings’ Cousins out Sunday; on virus list

Kirk Cousins has never missed a game in the NFL to injury.

His first unplanned absence, due to COVID19, could not have come at a worse time for the Vikings.

The Vikings placed their starting quarterback on the COVID-19 reserve list Friday, two days before their most important game of the season at Green Bay.

Cousins, who is unvaccinated, couldn’t be cleared in time to play even if he were feeling fine. The NFL recently reduced the required quarantine period to five days for asymptomatic players.

The Vikings (7-8) are one game out of the last wildcard spot in the NFC with two weeks to go. The Packers (12-3) are in control of the top seed and a firstround bye. The Vikings activated backup quarterback Sean Mannion from the COVID-19 reserve list, putting the seventhyear veteran in line to start at frigid Lambeau Field on Sunday night. Rookie Kellen Mond, who was drafted in the third round, has not developed quickly enough this season to be considered.

NHL: Devils coach Lindy Ruff tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Devils’ 6-5 overtime win against the Oilers on Friday and was isolated from the team. Also Friday, the NHL announced it was postponing eight more games because of COVID19-related attendance restrictions in some Canadian cities. The league said the games “will be rescheduled for dates later in the season when such restrictions may be eased or lifted.”

Tennis: U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu was honored by Queen Elizabeth II in the British monarch’s annual New Year’s list on Friday following the teenager’s breakthrough performance at Flushing Meadows. The 19-year-old Raducanu, who became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title, was made an MBE — or Member of the Order of the British Empire — by the queen. Raducanu said she was “immensely proud” of the MBE honor.