Kellen Mond’s Start Was Not Ideal
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Kirk Cousins’ potential successor in round three. Kellen Mond arrived from Texas A&M with impressive production, and the sought-after athleticism folks wanted after watching pocket passer Cousins for a few years.
Kellen Mond’s Start Wasn’t Ideal
Instead of becoming a serious option for the future, Mond quickly failed in Minnesota and has been a journeyman ever since, hoping for spots on practice squads and end-of-the-roster spots.
Last week, the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL named him their QB1 for the 2025 season, and on Saturday, the Brahmas played the season opener against the Arlington Renegades.
The Brahmas lost the title game last year, and if they want to return to the finals, they need more from Mond going forward because he couldn’t live up to his draft status in the 33-9 defeat.
Mond finished the contest with 159 passing yards on 17 of 31 completed passes. He didn’t find the endzone, but at least he didn’t throw any picks. He added 19 yards on the ground. That’s where his head coach, Wade Phillips, a former NFL coach himself and the father of Vikings OC Wes Phillips, saw his biggest advantage.
Wade Phillips said, “He’s earned it (the starting job). He’s looked good really almost every day in practice. He just has such an advantage being able to scramble and run running plays with the quarterback that gives you an extra dimension that not everybody has.”
Another man who regularly saw him in practice is Mike Zimmer, Mond’s former head coach. He, however, didn’t enjoy watching him perform, resulting in a rather infamous moment in franchise history.
Cousins missed the game in Green Bay on the COVID list, and Sean Mannion got the start. Mond was the backup and had to play a series because Mannion was banged up and completed two of three passes for five yards. The completion should’ve been a pick-six.
After the game, Zimmer’s presser happened. He was not interested in letting Mond play in what would be the final game of his tenure as Minnesota’s head coach despite his crew already being eliminated from playoff contention.
Zimmer was subsequently fired, and Mond got his fresh start with Kevin O’Connell. The new coach supervised the QB competition between Mannion and Mond for the QB2 spot behind Cousins and opted to get rid of both to acquire Nick Mullens.
Mond then had stints with the Browns, Colts, and Saints. The Brahmas are his first destination in a developmental league, and a good season would surely put him on the map for NFL teams. Through one of ten scheduled games, though, he’s still the same old Mond.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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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