Sports
Vikings Territory: What If We See Kellen Mond In 2021?
If the Cousins experiment ends prematurely, folks will jump with two feet into the Mond Pond.
July 10, 2021
Minnesota Vikings QB1 Kirk Cousins has never missed a professional football game due to injury, ensuring the probability of seeing rookie quarterback Kellen Mond during the 2021 season is rather low. General Manager Rick Spielman is committed to Cousins in 2021 — and probably 2022, too, per his contract — so any Mond sighting this autumn would likely surface because of an unfortunate injury to Cousins.
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So, when Spielman drafted Mond in the 3rd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he was the “closest thing we got” to a contingency plan for the future. Even the aforementioned Mahomes had to usurp Alex Smith on the depth chart in 2017. If the Cousins experiment ends prematurely, folks will jump with two feet into the Mond Pond.
On this one, think Josh Rosen from the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. Rosen was theorized to be a Top 3 pick for a lot of the 2018 draft cycle, fluctuating spots with rookie quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield. Alas, he was chosen 10th overall to a Cardinals team that is not as promising as it seems now.
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The Vikings experienced these doldrums with Christian Ponder, so perhaps that is a better example. However, the expectations for Mond will pale in comparison to Ponder based on draft positioning. Mond was plucked from the 3rd Round, Ponder from the 1st.
Mond can do no wrong now as he is a beacon of potential. Unfortunately, the possibility exists that he simply isn’t that good. But the VIkings don’t have to rush to him into anything — that’s the beauty of it.
As a starter, Bridgewater has been good-not-great. His career was derailed in 2016 when his leg was shredded, but he bounced back admirably, finding gigs with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and now Denver Broncos.
Sign VikingsVille up for a 2014 sequel of Bridgewater if Mond sees the field in 2021 — minus the franchise-altering injury two years later.
Romo-into-Prescott should be considered the dream scenario for Cousins naysayers. That is — an oft-scrutinized quarterback (usually erroneous criticism) gets overtaken by a mid-round draft pick. It happened to Romo — it could happen to Cousins.
This press release was produced by Vikings Territory. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
