The Minnesota Vikings have parted ways with assistant coach Rick Dennison after he refused to receive a vaccine for COVID-19. Dennison is believed to be the first NFL position coach to leave his team after choosing not to receive a vaccine.

Dennison had served as the Vikings' offensive line coach/run game coordinator for the past two seasons. 

The vaccine is required for all Tier 1 staff, including coaches, front-office executives, equipment managers and scouts.

Dennison worked with Gary Kubiak for more than three decades in Denver (1995-2009, 2015-16), Houston (2010-13) and Baltimore (2014). Before joining the Vikings in 2019, Dennison served as offensive line coach/run game coordinator for the New York Jets in 2018.