Another Ex-Vikings QB Auditions for Raiders’ Roster
Kellen Mond did it, and so did Matt Corral.
Another Ex-Vikings QB Auditions for Raiders’ Roster
The Las Vegas Raiders auditioned two former Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks this week, seeking quarterback insurance after QB1 Aidan O’Connell suffered an injury last weekend.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted Wednesday, “The Raiders worked out Matt Corral, Jake Luton (signed), Kellen Mond, Samson Nacua, Makai Polk.”
Generally speaking, the Raiders have encountered quarterback turmoil — because of injury and poor performance — forced to roll with Desmond Ridder in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend. Current QB1 Aidan O’Connell is banged up and could miss games, while Gardner Minshew is on injured reserve.
Here’s the state of play at quarterback for Las Vegas:
- Aidan O’Connell (Questionable)
- Desmond Ridder
- Carter Bradley
- Jake Luton (Practice Squad)
- Gardner Minshew (IR)
If the Raiders add Corral, he’d serve as injury insurance to O’Connell and Ridder.
Here’s Corral’s resume to date:
- Carolina Panthers (2022)
- New England Patriots (2023)
- Birmingham Stallions (2024)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
The Vikings signed Corral in mid-August when rookie passer J.J. McCarthy’s meniscus injury proved to be season-ending. He stuck around for 10 days and is most known for this preseason play:
The Panthers unearthed Corral from the 3rd Round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he never really took off. Many draft pundits featured Corral somewhat high on their draftboards, but when the rubber hit the road that April, he dipped to Round 3.
Corral has never thrown a pass in the regular season.
Most believe Minnesota added Corral for those 10 days in August because of his connection to Vikings quarterback coach Josh McCown. McCown began his coaching career in 2023 with the Carolina Panthers, and Corral lived on the summer roster until depth chart trimdowns last August. Corral didn’t make the 53-man roster, instead becoming a Patriot — briefly. However, McCown must’ve seen something positive from Corral, evidenced by the summer free-agent move.
Bleacher Report described Corral leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft: “Corral is a fun player whose competitive play will fire up teammates and create yards out of thin air. He can flash ball placement when in rhythm, but he has benefited from an offense that lets him wait for his receivers to come open based on both design and the pockets created. He needs a lot of work with timing, anticipation and the true quarterback processes that are required of full-time NFL starting quarterbacks.”
Corral is 6’1″ and turned 25 last January. His UFL team won the championship in June, though a different quarterback, Adrian Martinez, played quarterback in that league’s version of the Super Bowl.
The Raiders have a 2-11 record and have been eliminated from postseason contention.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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