2 Ex-Vikings QBs Try Out for Raiders
The Minnesota Vikings went through a QB carousel in the 2023 season following Kirk Cousins’ season-ending injury. In the offseason, they swapped Cousins for the cheaper Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy. Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien are the backups.
2 Ex-Vikings QBs Try Out for Raiders
Fortunately, the Vikings have avoided any QB absences outside of a couple of plays with a banged-up Darnold that Mullens converted to first downs.
A different story is the Raiders’ quarterbacks. Gardner Minshew is on IR with a broken collarbone. Aidan O’Connell suffered a bone bruise in his knee on Sunday and could be in line to miss the upcoming contest against Cousins’ Falcons.
That would leave Desmond Ridder and rookie Carter Bradley as the only available quarterbacks.
This week, the Raiders have hosted three QBs for a workout, including two ex-Vikings: Kellen Mond and Matt Corral.
Mond was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft class by Minnesota’s previous regime. Rick Spielman added Mond to the QB room, primarily including Cousins and longtime backup Sean Mannion.
After a productive collegiate career at the University of Texas A&M with 9,661 passing yards, 71 passing touchdowns, over 1,600 rushing yards, and 22 touchdowns on the ground, the Vikings hoped to secure a succession plan for the aging Cousins.
In his debut season, Mond remained QB3 behind Cousins and Mannion and somehow landed in Mike Zimmer’s doghouse, resulting in the infamous “I see him every day” comment.
After one offseason and training camp under Kevin O’Connell, the brass decided to trade for Mullens and part ways with Mond. The QB has bounced around since, having stints with the Browns, Colts, Saints and the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL. The Brahmas signed him in October for the upcoming season.
His only NFL action came against the Packers in 2021 when Cousins missed the game with COVID-19. Mannion had a brief absence but returned later. Mond completed two of his three passes for five yards, but the incompletion nearly resulted in a pick-six.
Corral was part of the 2022 draft class when some thought the Vikings could select another passer. They passed on the weak class, though.
The Panthers ultimately ended his draft-day slide in the third round. A lisfranc fracture in the preseason ended his rookie campaign, allowing now Vikings QB Darnold to get some starts. Corral was released after the 2022 preseason. He then had a short stint with the Patriots and with the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL, where he started three games (all wins) and recorded two touchdowns and two interceptions.
When McCarthy suffered his injury, the Vikings added Corral as a depth option for the preseason. He ultimately got some playing time, with disastrous results.
Needless to say, the Vikings moved on after the two preseason games.
The Raiders ultimately opted to sign Jake Luton to the practice squad. Both signal-callers remain on the NFL radar but are a longshot to ever get significant playing time outside of the preseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Sports Reference CFB, and the UFL helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt