Kellen Mond signed his rookie contract Tuesday, locking him in through the 2024 season. The third-rounder’s status as Kirk Cousins‘ heir apparent is not yet known, but the Vikings will have time to find out.
Minnesota selected Mond with the second pick in the third round (66th overall), doing so one spot ahead of the Texans. Houston is believed to have sought Mond at No. 67, but the Texas A&M alum will end up leaving the Lone Star State to serve as Cousins’ backup/potential successor.
Mond marks the first QB the Vikings have brought in who could double as a Cousins competitor. The team has previously stationed true QB2s — Trevor Siemian, Sean Mannion — behind its well-paid starter; Mond represents a deviation from that strategy. Cousins is just 32 and has put up nice stats with the Vikings, but the franchise entered the draft with a goal of acquiring a younger passer. After the Vikes’ Justin Fields pursuit proved unsatisfactory, they set their sights on Mond a day later.
A three-year Aggies starter, Mond finished his career with a 71-27 TD-INT ratio despite facing perennially tough schedules in the SEC. Third-round QBs’ success rate commandeering starting jobs is low, giving Cousins a bit of security for the time being. Minnesota’s incumbent passer is signed through 2022 and has a whopping $45MM cap number next season. Mond’s development may well determine if Cousins receives a third contract offer from the Vikings.
Cousins was a 4th round pick, with good athletic gifts and a long history of choking in big games (the only bowl game he won at Michigan State was in triple overtime – the other team choked even harder than Cousins). Mond is serious competition for Cousins. Minnesota should trade Cousins and his fat salary if they can find a taker.
Realistically I only think this happens is if a big name QB goes down in the preseason. Let him get a pace for the pro level behind Cousins. I think Mond is the starter next year either way.
He will be “serious competition” eventually the Vikings would be dumb to trade Cousins before Mond is ready. They did a lot of offseason work to be competitive this year and they aren’t going to throw that away to let a rookie QB learn on the job. It will be Mond eventually but not this else’s son.
Season*