Vikings to cut former third-round pick quarterback Kellen Mond, per report

The writing was on the wall in the preseason, and it should become official today. Per NFL Media, the Minnesota Vikings are waiving second-year quarterback Kellen Mond. As of Tuesday morning, the Vikings are set to move forward with Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion and Nick Mullens at quarterback.

Mond was selected by the Vikings in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. He played in just one regular-season game in his rookie year, completing 2 of 3 passes for 5 yards. Mond had a solid showing during the Vikings’ first preseason matchup this year against the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 9 of 14 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. The next week against the San Francisco 49ers, however, Mond completed 10 of 20 passes for 82 yards and threw two interceptions. Mannion didn’t perform very well against the 49ers, either, which caused the Vikings to trade for Mullens that next Monday. 

Mond looked poised to win the backup quarterback job entering training camp, but things quickly changed. Coming out of Texas A&M, Mond was a prospect that intrigued many teams, and he even won the Reese’s Senior Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 25 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the showcase. A four-year starter for the Aggies, Mond became just the third quarterback in SEC history to pass for over 9,000 yards to go along with over 1,500 yards rushing.

Mond was famously part of a contest that went down in college football lore, as he defeated Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers, 74-72, in seven overtimes back in 2018. That matchup set the record for most combined points scored in FBS history, and tied the NCAA record for longest game. Mond threw six touchdowns and ran for another, maintaining his focus for nearly five hours to pull out a win for the Aggies. 

Just 23 years old, there should be some interest in Mond — even if it’s a spot on the practice squad.