Remember when, just a week ago, someone made the case that Kellen Mond had inched closer to winning the backup quarterback job in Minnesota?
Funny thing about that…
The Vikings have executed a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, sending a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to Las Vegas for quarterback Nick Mullens.
Tom Pelissero, who covers the league for the NFL Network, broke the news on Monday morning:
Trade! The #Raiders are sending QB Nick Mullens to the #Vikings for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2024, per sources.
A new potential backup for Kirk Cousins. pic.twitter.com/wZmYddMmay
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 22, 2022
After performing well in Minnesota’s first preseason game — against the Raiders — Mond threw a pair of interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers this past weekend. On one of those interceptions, coming on a 3rd and 1 situation, it is hard to see what Mond was thinking:
For the Raiders, the relationship between Jarrett Stidham and head coach Josh McDaniels, as well as Stidham’s familiarity with McDaniels’ offense, put Stidham in a position to win the backup job.
Mullens now offers the Vikings a bit more stability behind starter Kirk Cousins, given his years of experience. He also has spent time under Kyle Shanahan, and with head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips now in Minnesota — two branches off the Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching tree — that experience will make Mullens a solid fit in Minnesota.
Under the terms of the deal, Mullens must be active for one game in 2022:
The conditions of the 7th rounder: Mullens must be active for one game in 2022. https://t.co/I1xOPEwrgq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2022
Perhaps the bigger question now is, will Mond?