Vikings guard Dru Samia tests positive for COVID-19

The Minnesota Vikings will be down a piece offensive line depth on Monday night, with guard Dru Samia registering a positive test for COVID-19.

The Minnesota Vikings have a challenge ahead of the them Monday night against a strong Chicago Bears defense. But they will down an offensive lineman, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network has reported guard Dru Samia tested positive for COVID-19 and obviously will not travel with the team.

Contract tracing is being done, any anyone deemed a high-risk close contact with Samia won’t travel for Monday night’s game as well.

Samia, a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma in the 2019 Draft, started four games at right guard earlier this season. Beyond the eye test showing he was in over his head, he was also graded out very poorly by Pro Football Focus. He has only played a total of nine special teams snaps over the last two games, as the Vikings have moved forward with rookie Ezra Cleveland starting at right guard.

The Vikings activated former starting guard Pat Elflein of IR late this week, then they surprisingly waived him on Saturday. He may not have re-entered the starting lineup right away, but now Minnesota’s already flimsy offensive line depth looks even worse. And that leaves out if anyone will be deemed a close contact to Samia, and thus won’t be able to play on Monday night.

Dalvin Cook has been the engine of the Vikings’ offense over the last two weeks, games they’ve not coincidentally won. If Samia’s positive COVID-19 test yields residual absences who would frankly be more critical, Cook will have to work his magic behind a depleted line.