Vikings regain linebacker Nick Vigil from the COVID list, but it's still crowded

The Vikings activated linebacker Nick Vigil from the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, but the list remains crowded with starting offensive linemen and quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Tight end Chris Herndon was added to the COVID list Tuesday, keeping it at seven players: Cousins, Herndon, linebacker Eric Kendricks, right tackle Brian O'Neill, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, left guard Ezra Cleveland and safety Camryn Bynum.

They will not be allowed back at TCO Performance Center until they clear NFL protocols.

The Vikings took a step to bulk up the offensive line group for practice, adding center/guard Cole Banwart to the practice squad. Banwart went undrafted out of Iowa in 2021 and has spent time with Tennessee and the New York Giants.

The Vikings are down to six offensive linemen — Oli Udoh, Garrett Bradbury, Rashod Hill, Blake Brandel, Dakota Dozier and Wyatt Davis — on the active roster. They also have guard Kyle Hinton and tackle Timon Parris on the practice squad.

The Vikings have isolated 30 players in the past two months, including five on Monday, their most in a single day.

Because Kendricks is vaccinated, he can land on the COVID list only because he tested positive. He can return as soon as he's symptom-free for 24 hours and produces two negative tests; those tests can now be taken the same morning under updated league protocols. Unvaccinated players who tested positive could also return by Sunday's season finale vs. Chicago, because the league's minimum quarantine has been cut to five days for asymptomatic cases.

Unvaccinated players are tested daily. An update to league protocols in December cut back testing for vaccinated players.