Someone Else Wants to See Kellen Mond in Practice
There was a time when the Minnesota Vikings were in the business of developing mid-round quarterbacks. That started under Mike Zimmer, while Kirk Cousins was his established signal caller. Kellen Mond was among their hottest names, but the head coach wasn’t a fan. Someone else now may be.
Someone Else Wants to See Kellen Mond in Practice
During the 2021 NFL Draft, Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer opted to use a third-round pick (66th overall) on Kellen Mond. The Aggies quarterback was a dual-threat playmaker in college, and virtually none of his skills were refined. For a team that needed a succession plan behind Kirk Cousins, though, he represented a project with upside.
With Cousins rarely missing time, Mond never had an opportunity to get much exposure while with Minnesota. He was always destined to sit on the bench despite drawing fans’ excitement during preseason action. When Cousins did actually miss snaps, Sean Mannion started for Zimmer instead. That seemed to be a curious decision, but then there was the all-timer of a quote from Minnesota’s head football coach.
When asked whether Zimmer wanted to see Mond during the Week 18 regular season finale, he responded snarkily, “Not particularly…I see him in practice every day.”
That sort of response is about as spot-on as it gets from Zimmer. It’s what has made him a good defensive coach and a head coach that ruffled the feathers of his team. He’s a no-frills, shoot-from-the-hip type of person. Mond may have had his spirit crushed that day without some personal resolve, but the quote was out there, and it wasn’t coming back.
Now signed by the New Orleans Saints for the 2024 NFL season, Mond will have an opportunity to compete for backup reps behind Derek Carr. The Saints quarterback room, behind their starter, could be among the worst in football, leaving the door open for Mond.
Jake Haener is the presumed backup, with the forever-futile Nathan Peterman also rostered. It’s unlikely that New Orleans will be in a good spot if any of them see the field, but at least there is a path onto the 53-man roster.
Mond is only 24 years old, but he has thrown only three NFL passes and hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2021 with Minnesota. He had other tryouts this offseason but now has a set destination. It’s unlikely he will figure it all out going forward, but there are plenty of stories where developmental arcs aren’t linear. All the best to the former Vikings draftee with the Saints.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
You must be logged in to post a comment.