Justin Jefferson, Brian Cole II activated from COVID-19 list, Armon Watts added

Another day, another few changes for the Minnesota Vikings and the reserve/COVID-19 list. We’ll start with the bad news first.

The Vikings added defensive tackle Armon Watts to the COVID-19 list on Tuesday. Watts, a sixth-round pick of the Vikings in 2019, appeared in seven games for the Vikings as a rookie. He collected 1.5 sacks and was injured in the season finale against the Bears, with the team putting him on Injured Reserve before the playoffs got underway. He’s expected to make a big push for playing time on the interior this season with Linval Joseph gone and Michael Pierce opting out.

On the positive side, the Vikings took two more players off of the COVID-19 list on Tuesday afternoon, including their top draft choice, wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson was part of the initial wave of rookies that was placed on the COVID-19 list when the rookies and quarterbacks started reporting to camp back on 23 July. Another member of the Vikings’ 2020 draft class, safety Brian Cole II, was also removed from the COVID-19 list today.

That means that the Vikings have cut the number of players on their list in half over the past few days. Here is who remains as of now:

• OL Tyler Higby
• LB Cameron Smith
• OL Oli Udoh
• DT Armon Watts

Here's hoping for more positive news about the Vikings’ COVID-19 status in the days to come and no more negative news.