Photo courtesy of SJU Athletics Minnesota native Jackson Erdmann is working out with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, August 2, 2021.
The Minnesota Vikings are down three quarterbacks entering their first fully padded practice at training camp.
Rookie quarterback Kellen Mond tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, spurring the majority of the quarterback room onto the team’s COVID-19 reserve list. Mond is expected to miss the next two weeks of training camp. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins and 2020 seventh-round pick Nate Stanley are out a minimum of five days.
Undrafted Jake Browning is the last quarterback standing, but the Vikings need more arms on the field to have the best possible practices this week.
Minnesota is working out two quarterbacks on Monday, including Rosemount, Minn., native Jackson Erdmann, per the Star Tribune.
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Erdmann Transformed St. John’s University’s Offense
After Penn State changed offensive coordinators his freshman year, Erdmann needed a change of scenery and decided to return to Minnesota, transferring to St. John’s University.
Erdmann was primarily a facilitator for two seasons at St. John’s before 2018, when the Johnnies decide to move to a more pass-heavy scheme.
Approaching the Tommie-Johnnie rivalry game with now Division I program St. Thomas, Erdmann spoke to his father on his phone about the changes to the offense.
“Dad, we’re going after them. I may throw 60 times,” Jackson said, per Pioneer Press reporter Jace Frederick. “We are not going to lose just by handing the ball off. We’re going after them.”
Erdmann was let loose, throwing the ball 53 times for 470 yards and three touchdowns that afternoon in a 40-20 victory, which ushered in a new era of St. John’s football. He threw for 3,450 yards and 47 touchdowns in 2018 and claimed the Gagliardi Trophy awarded to the Division III college football player of the year.
Erdmann completed 313 of 489 throws for 5,040 yards and 47 touchdowns in 2019 — all of which are program records. His 11,639 career passing yards and 139 passing touchdowns are also Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference records.
Pro scouts showed interest in Erdmann after his senior season, however, he went undrafted in 2020 — in part to tearing ligaments in his ankle in his final college game. He played in the Fan Controlled Football League last season.
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Vikings Working Out Another QB
Erdmann will return to TCO Performance Center on Monday for his second workout in a week. Erdmann joins quarterback Case Cookus, a Northern Arizona product who has been on the New York Giants and Denver Broncos rosters over the past two seasons.
The Vikings are likely to sign at least one quarterback this week with three missing arms from practice. Browning took every quarterback rep at Saturday’s practice and performed well, but more passers will be needed.
Erdmann worked out with established Vikings in Adam Thielen, C.J. Ham, Chad Beebe and Minnesota State hopeful Shane Zylstra this offseason.