May 26, 2021; Eagan, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) and quarterback Kellen Mond. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
The Vikings entered the preseason with three quarterbacks on the roster. After the struggles of Mannion and Mond, the organization decided to trade for veteran backup QB Nick Mullens.
Now, the Vikings have to trim the roster down to 53 players and do so by reportedly waiving quarterback Kellen Mond.
Mond came into the league as an interesting prospect. He had a great career at Texas A&M and gained a lot of experience in his tenure there. 1,358 passing attempts resulted in 9,661 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. He added 1,609 rushing yards and 22 scores on the ground. However, Mond never really arrived in the NFL. The first problem happened in the draft. The former general manager reportedly wanted him, but former head coach Mike Zimmer wanted a defensive player instead. The GM had the final say and selected his target.
His struggles continued. At first, he missed time in the 2021 preseason and training camp because he had COVID-19. He lost a lot of weight in the process and had to overcome that. Later in the season, Kirk Cousins tested positive and missed the game in Lambeau Field, and the coaching staff had to decide between Mond and Mannion. Mannion got the job and started a dreadful game. Mond had three passes, including one almost disastrous pass that could’ve been a pick-6. In hindsight, starting Mannion was probably the right decision.
After the game, however, Zimmer was asked if he wanted to see Mond in the final regular season game. The Vikings were already eliminated, so it was a good opportunity to start the young QB. Zimmer had other plans. He answered with a “not particularly.” After the reporter wanted an explanation, he said, “I see him every day.”
That showed the relationship between Zimmer and a young player on the team. Obviously, Mond was happy when Zimmer departed, and an offensive-minded HC was hired. Kevin O’Connell was once a young passer in the NFL, and the hope was that he could help Mond.
Fast forward about six months, and that didn’t work. Mond finished the preseason with two TDs and two INTs. His reads were late a lot, and he had inaccurate throws mixed in. Needless to say that he played against backups and third-stringer. In recent years, less talented Vikings QBs regularly marched down the field against those opponents. Kyle Sloter comes to mind.
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Mond showed some promise in a few plays. He has mobility and a strong arm. Both are essential traits of NFL QBs. The Vikings could try to get him on the practice squad. His preseason games were bad enough that no team may claim him. But most likely, someone else will bring him in and try to fix his problems.
Mond is the second big cut on Tuesday after the Vikings released edge rusher Janarius Robinson just before Mond.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt