Kirk Cousins Clarifies Controversial Stance On COVID-19: 'I Could've Articulated It Better'

KEY POINTS

Kirk Cousins does not fear being infected by COVID-19: "If I die, I die"
Cousins clarified his comments, admitting that he could've articulated his words better
The U.S. still has the highest numbers of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 worldwide

Kirk Cousins made an immediate clarification after his controversial stance on COVID-19 during a past podcast interview drew massive flak. Shedding light on his views regarding the current pandemic, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback stressed that his comments were purely personal while admitting that he could have communicated his belief in a much better manner.

"Admittedly, I did not use the best wording and certainly could’ve articulated it better," Cousins said Wednesday, per ESPN, in a news conference that was held for him to address the issue.

But while he owned up to his mistake, the 32-year-old still maintains that he does not fear getting infected by the virus.

“The heart behind it is no different than it is today,” he reiterated.

"Admittedly, I probably wasn't as clear as I would've liked to have been. But what I wanted to say then and what I would echo again now is that while the virus does not give me a great amount of personal fear, there's still great reason for me to engage in wearing a mask and social distancing and washing my hands as frequently as I can and following protocols set in place, obviously to be considerate and respectful of other people.

"I just don't have a great deal of personal fear surrounding contracting the virus. And, again, that's unique to my circumstances, unique to my situation, factors that are unique to me and would be extremely different from any number of people."

Cousins’ podcast interview on Spotify's "10 Questions" was released early on Wednesday, and it instantly spurred a backlash from critics, who deemed the QB’s comments as being insensitive and uncalled for.

"If I die, I die," Cousins said in the interview, which he said happened about a month ago. "I kind of have peace about that."

For what it’s worth, the United States is still at the top of the list in terms of the highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths worldwide, according to the John Hopkins University. As of the latest data, the virus has already infected 25.8 million people all over the globe, in which 858,000 have already perished.