The Vikings Added a New QB
Dustin Baker
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You’ll likely never see him in the regular season, but the Minnesota Vikings added a new quarterback on Thursday — David Blough.
The former Detroit Lions passer joined the Vikings roster after the release of Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion on Tuesday.
Minnesota expected one or both of Mond or Mannion to be available for a 2022 practice squad assignment, but the Cleveland Browns sniped Mond, and the Seattle Seahawks opted for Mannion via waivers. Nine days ago, Minnesota’s front office decided the Mond-Mannion sandwich was decomposing and traded with the Las Vegas Raiders for quarterback Nick Mullens, the current QB2.
Insert Blough.
Theoretically, Minnesota could’ve rolled with two quarterbacks, “calling it good,” but maintaining three enables the coaching staff to sleep peacefully in case something happens to Kirk Cousins and the aforementioned Mullens. At least with the Blough on the practice squad, he could step in and run a familiar offense.
An undrafted free agent in 2019, Blough started his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns. He was employed by Cleveland for a few months before a trade to the Lions in August of 2019. He spent time as QB2 and QB3 behind Matthew Stafford, intermixed with fellow backups Jeff Driskel and Chase Daniel.
Blough made five starts as a rookie in 2019 when Stafford was injured, compiling 984 passing yards, four touchdown passes, six interceptions, and a 64.0 passer rating. The Lions were 0-5 under Blough’s leadership as a starter, and the Purdue alumnus hasn’t started a game since. He even started a game against Minnesota on December 8th, 2019, tabulating 205 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. He was sacked by Danielle Hunter three times that afternoon.
The Blough signing nearly fills out Minnesota’s 2022 practice squad, of which the NFL now allows 16 players. These are the practice squad members as of September 1st:
- QB David Blough
- RB Bryant Koback
- WR Dan Chisena
- WR Trishton Jackson
- WR Travis Toivonen
- TE Nick Muse
- OG Kyle Hinton
- C Josh Sokol
- DL Jaylen Twyman
- DL T.J. Smith
- EDGE Janarius Robinson
- LB William Kwenkeu
- CB Tay Gowan
- CB Parry Nickerson
- S Myles Dorn
Blough earned Third-team All-Big Ten at Purdue accolades in 2018. Per height and weight, he is akin to Case Keenum’s stature.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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