Saints Sign Former Vikings QB
Dustin Baker
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He worked out for the San Francisco 49ers a few days ago but made it official with a different team, the New Orleans Saints, on Friday.
Saints Sign Former Vikings QB
He’s Kellen Mond, and Saints News Network Ross Jackson tweeted, “The Saints have announced the signing of QB Kellen Mond. Mond was with the Vikings in 2021 having worked with new Saints OC Klint Kubiak and QB coach Andrew Janocko during that time.”
Mond last backed up Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew on the Indianapolis Colts roster in 2023, though he saw no regular season playing time. In New Orleans, he’ll vie for a roster spot after Derek Carr, Jake Haener, and Nathan Peterman on the 2024 depth chart. It’s probably a coinflip whether he makes the 53-man roster cut later this summer.
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 20 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 become a QB3 or QB4 in New Orleans.
The Saints employ several former Vikings offensive coaches, including Klint Kubiak (offensive coordinator), Rick Dennison (senior offensive assistant), and Andrew Janocko (quarterbacks coach). Mond crossed paths with all three as a rookie in the Twin Cities.
Mond will turn 25 in June. He’s thrown three passes in his NFL career.
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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. 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.
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