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Vikings reassign unvaccinated assistant Rick Dennison to advisor role after report surfaced claiming he would quit rather than get shot

Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison will remain with the team in a new role despite his decision not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, in violation of NFL rules. 

The 63-year-old Dennison will serve as a senior offensive advisor to the team after reports recently surfaced falsely claiming he was leaving the Vikings over his decision to not be vaccinated.    

The Vikings announced the reassignment on Tuesday, the day before their first full-team practice of training camp. 

ESPN reported Friday that Dennison, an offensive line coach and running game coordinator, stepped down, becoming the first position coach to leave a team because of vaccine guidelines. 

The team, however, told DailyMail.com that Dennison remained an employee. 

Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison will remain with the team in a new role despite his decision not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, in violation of NFL rules

Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison will remain with the team in a new role despite his decision not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, in violation of NFL rules

Dennison was hired by the Vikings in 2019. This will be his 27th year on an NFL coaching staff.

'It was important we use him as a resource,' head coach Mike Zimmer said, 'but also give him a chance to work.'

Both Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman declined to divulge Dennison's reason for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine, despite strict league-wide protocols for those without it. Zimmer said it's possible Dennison would get it later.

For now, all of his collaboration with the staff must be virtual. He'll help the other offensive assistants evaluate players and devise game plans, as in the past, but he won't be able to have the hands-on work with the offensive linemen he's drawn praise for throughout his years in the NFL.

While players are only encouraged - and not required - to get vaccinated, coaches, scouts, equipment managers and team executives must be fully vaccinated in order to work in the NFL.    

The number of NFL players with at least one of the two COVID-19 vaccination injections has reached 80 percent with nine teams having 90 percent or more of their players in that category.

Dr. Allen Sills, the league's medical director, said Friday that nearly all Tier 1 and Tier 2 team employees - those who deal directly with players - have been vaccinated. Five teams are at less than 70 percent of players who have either received one vaccination shot or both. He is optimistic the number of vaccinated players will continue to rise as training camps open.

In this June 16, 2021, file photo, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer walks through the field during NFL football practice in Eagan, Minn. The Vikings and assistant coach Rick Dennison have found a solution for him to remain with the club despite his unvaccinated status. The 63-year-old Dennison will take a role as senior offensive advisor. He'll do all of his collaboration with the staff virtually

In this June 16, 2021, file photo, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer walks through the field during NFL football practice in Eagan, Minn. The Vikings and assistant coach Rick Dennison have found a solution for him to remain with the club despite his unvaccinated status. The 63-year-old Dennison will take a role as senior offensive advisor. He'll do all of his collaboration with the staff virtually

Dennison's dispute with the Vikings came after a league memo was sent out Thursday explaining that teams could forfeit games if COVID-19 outbreaks result in canceled games, while players could suffer lost paychecks due any cancelations.   

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell warned the 32 teams Thursday in a memo obtained by DailyMail.com that no games would be rescheduled in the event of an outbreak. Instead, infected teams could be forced to forfeit games. 

'As we learned last year, we can play a full season if we maintain a firm commitment to adhering to our health and safety protocols and to making needed adjustments in response to changing conditions,' Goodell said.

He added that the league does not anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that need to be moved because of coronavirus issues.

'If a game can't be rescheduled and is canceled due to a COVID outbreak among non-vaccinated players on one of the competing teams, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and will be deemed to have played 16 games for purposes of draft, waiver priority, etc,' Goodell added. 

For purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team would be assessed a loss and the other team a win.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league doesn't not anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can't be rescheduled within 18-week regular season. However, forfeits are among the consequences. 'If a game can't be rescheduled and is canceled due to a COVID outbreak among non-vaccinated players on one of the competing teams, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and will be deemed to have played 16 games for purposes of draft, waiver priority, etc,' Goodell says in the memo, which was obtained by DailyMail.com (above)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league doesn't not anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can't be rescheduled within 18-week regular season. However, forfeits are among the consequences. 'If a game can't be rescheduled and is canceled due to a COVID outbreak among non-vaccinated players on one of the competing teams, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and will be deemed to have played 16 games for purposes of draft, waiver priority, etc,' Goodell says in the memo, which was obtained by DailyMail.com

If there is a virus outbreak because of a 'spike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams,' the memo said.

The NFL has not made vaccinations mandatory. The league and the NFL Players Association, however, are strongly urging team employees and players to do so. 

Phil Rauscher was promoted to fill Dennison's offensive line coach position, after serving as his assistant last season. Ben Steele was hired as assistant offensive coach. The running game coordinator title that Dennison also carried will be dropped for now.

That job will fall to Rauscher and Steele, who will be responsible for an especially young group after the offseason release of left tackle Riley Reiff. Right tackle Brian O'Neill, entering his fourth year in the league, has the longest tenure with the Vikings. Rookies Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis are expected to fill starting spots, assuming their development progresses throughout the month.

Rauscher will begin his seventh season in NFL coaching. He spent two years in Washington and three with Denver.

Steele will start his eighth season as a coach in the league and his 14th overall. He was the tight ends coach for Atlanta last year. As a player, Steele was in training camp with the Vikings in 2003 and 2004 and played for Green Bay during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Dr. Allen Sills (pictured), the league's medical director, said Friday that nearly all Tier 1 and Tier 2 team employees - those who deal directly with players - have been vaccinated. Five teams are at less than 70 percent of players who have either received one vaccination shot or both. He is optimistic the number of vaccinated players will continue to rise as training camps open

Dr. Allen Sills , the league's medical director, said Friday that nearly all Tier 1 and Tier 2 team employees - those who deal directly with players - have been vaccinated. Five teams are at less than 70 percent of players who have either received one vaccination shot or both. He is optimistic the number of vaccinated players will continue to rise as training camps open

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