Former Vikings QB Dropped by 4th Team
Spencer Rattler ended the man’s very brief career with the New Orleans Saints.
Former Vikings QB Dropped by 4th Team
That’s Kellen Mond, a man drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, and he’ll hope to catch on elsewhere this summer.
ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted Wednesday, “The Saints have waived QB Kellen Mond and OL Tommy Kraemer.”
Mond lasted in New Orleans for about four weeks, signing on the Saints’ dotted line in April, but when that franchise scooped Spencer Rattler from Round 5 of the draft 12 days ago, he was evidently on borrowed time. The ex-Viking will now hit free agency and hope for the best.
Here’s Mond’s career resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2021)
- Cleveland Browns (2022)
- Indianapolis Colts (2023)
- New Orleans Saints (2024)
And the revamped Saints quarterback room:
- Derek Carr
- Jake Haener
- Spencer Rattler
- Nathan Peterman
Mond last backed up Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew on the Indianapolis Colts roster in 2023, though he saw no regular season playing time. The 24-year-old Mond also last spent time with the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and 2023 before rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson effectively stole his job during the preseason. Too, he auditioned for the Carolina Panthers roster in September when Bryce Young was temporarily injured but did not land a gig.
The Vikings evaluated Mond during 2022 training camp and preseason, leading to a trade involving Nick Mullens from the Las Vegas Raiders. The moment Mullens set foot in Eagan, Minnesota, he became the Vikings QB2, leaving Mond as the odd man out and an eventual journeyman quarterback.
Mond was chosen by the Vikings’ former leadership regime in 2021 as a possible contingency plan for QB1 Kirk Cousins in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fans constantly argued whether Cousins was actually a true franchise quarterback, so the addition of Mond was viewed as an exciting what-if. But the 3rd-Rounder didn’t pan out and has bounced around the NFL in 21 months since departing Minnesota.
Aside from a few flashes of competence — mainly in the first preseason game of 2022 — Mond played terribly for the Vikings. The Vikings knew Mond was developmental and raw, however, he leaned heavily on the raw trait during his brief Minnesota tenure.
The Vikings waived Mond on August 31st, 2022, and he latched onto the Browns roster via waivers the next day. He didn’t play any regular season snaps for the 2022 Browns — even with Deshaun Watson suspended for 11 games — but now hopes to catch on with a fifth team.
Mond also tried out for the San Francisco 49ers 90-man roster earlier this offseason, though no contract materialized. He’ll turn 25 in June and has thrown three passes in his NFL career, all with the Vikings.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.