Although the Vikings featured different passers during their training camp competition at backup quarterback, their 2021 plan will likely end up being the same as it was in the past two seasons. They are promoting Sean Mannion to their active roster, Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
Kirk Cousins‘ backup in 2019 and ’20, Mannion was linked to the Vikings early in the offseason but ended up signing with the Seahawks. After Seattle released the veteran last week, Minnesota circled back for a reunion. Despite Mannion’s reunion coming via the practice squad, the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson notes the team’s plan all along was for Mannion to be Cousins’ top backup to start the season (Twitter link).
The Vikings drafted Kellen Mond in Round 3 and pitted him against Jake Browning for the QB2 job during camp. Mond obviously made Minnesota’s 53-man roster, as a possible Cousins heir apparent. After two years on the Vikings’ practice squad, Browning is now with the Bengals on a P-squad deal.
A seventh-year veteran, Mannion has managed to remain a viable backup despite having never made a start in a game of consequence. The Rams used him as a reserve for four seasons, and the Oregon State alum only started in a 2017 Week 17 game in which Sean McVay sat his starters. Mannion’s lone Vikings start, in Week 17 of the 2019 season, came under similar circumstances. But he is set to provide veteran insurance behind Cousins to start the season.
Minnesota also bumped Ameer Abdullah up to its active roster, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While the former second-round pick did not work out as a running back solution with the Lions, he has established himself as a key Vikings backup and special-teamer. Abdullah played in each Vikings game over the past two seasons. This will be his fourth season in Minnesota.
Ugh. Just let Mond be it.
No, Mannion needs to be the Covid-19 reserve qb.
If you end up needing to play Mannion then you have lost the game and/or the season anyway – so why not let Mond gain the experience? Mond’s pre-season performance showed that he is clearly a long way from being a viable starter and having him take practice team reps isn’t going to speed that process along.
Backup QBs don’t get many reps either.
If Mannion is up,
Then who is down or out ?