Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins left practice on August 11 with an undisclosed illness, leaving just two quarterbacks to facilitate practice — Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond.
Like much of training camp, it wasn’t pretty for the backup quarterbacks.
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Head Coach Kevin O’Connell on @KirkCousins8‘s availability for Sunday’s game against the Raiders
Thirty days away from their season opener with the defending NFC North champion Green Bay Packers, the Vikings cannot afford to have practice hindered by poor quarterback play — but unfortunately, there’s been worse than good news coming out of training camp regarding the backup quarterback battle in Minnesota.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that, after two weeks of training camp, the new Vikings regime is opening its mind to the possibility that their backup to Cousins could be outside the organization.
Vikings Are ‘Very Open’ to Idea Backup QB Isn’t Currently on the Roster
Appearing on KFAN Radio on August 11, Seifert revealed that while the Vikings have shown their support to both backup quarterbacks, they are “very open” to the idea that the true Cousins contingency plan isn’t currently rostered in Minnesota.
“My understanding is that internally they are very open to the possibility that the backup quarterback isn’t on the roster,” Seifert said, via Vikings Territory editor Sean Borman. There are two factors there; how do these guys (Mond and Mannion) perform and who’s potentially available.”
While Cousins has been one of the most consistent and reliable quarterbacks in the NFL, never missing a game due to injury, his departure from Thursday’s practice was a quick reminder of how significant the drop-off is on the depth chart after Cousins.
From SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad practice notes on Thursday:
Neither had been impressive running the second team in camp, and it got downright ugly late Thursday afternoon with Mond and Mannion attempting to make the first-team go. A small sample: Mannion started in team drills and had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage, threw a sure interception that safety Cam Bynum dropped and spiked a ball into the ground because of pressure from Za’Darius Smith. He then finally completed a pass to Justin Jefferson.
Mond, meanwhile, continues to hold the ball far too long as he surveys the field for receivers. My charting had four sacks on Mond, although he was allowed to keep plays alive after he would have been taken down, and he dropped another snap from under center. That has been a consistent problem for the 2021 third-round pick in this camp.
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Backup QB is Necessary for Vikings’ Divison Title Hopes
While the backup quarterback position may not seem like a big deal with Cousins’ record of health over his career, it’s wishful thinking to assume that will continue.
Minnesota’s expectations of the new regime of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell make having a serviceable backup to Cousins imperative if they hope to upend the Packers, who have won the division title three years in a row.
And after two weeks in training camp, it appears Mannion nor Mond are the answer.
Vikings fans saw how ineffective Mannion was last season, stepping in for Cousins, who tested positive for COVID-19, in a 37-10 loss to the Packers in Week 17 that eliminated Minnesota from playoff contention. And apparently, Mond hasn’t taken a considerable step forward since his rookie year, failing to usurp Mannion for the No. 2 quarterback spot on the Vikings’ first depth chart of the 2022 season.
“Mannion, 30, and Mond, 23, have no business playing in a regular-season game for a team that wants to win the NFC North,” Zulgad added.”
The Vikings brought in Kevin Hogan for a workout last week. There is also a slew of veteran quarterbacks who have live-game experience still in free agency, including Blake Bortles, Cam Newton, Mike Glennon, A.J. McCarron and Garrett Gilbert.
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Vikings ‘Very Open’ to Improving QB Position Amid Kirk Cousins’ Absence: Report