The Minnesota Vikings signed Kyle Sloter to the active roster on Tuesday, marking a homecoming for a fan favorite who has never played an official game with the team.
Sloter spent two seasons as the third-string quarterback for the Vikings but made his mark during the preseason. The Northern Colorado product electrified in 2019, throwing for 443 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in four games.
But despite his late-game heroics, head coach Mike Zimmer was unimpressed by his practice habits. The Vikings parted ways with Sloter after the 2019 preseason and the 27-year-old has bounced around the NFL with stops in Arizona, Detroit, Chicago and Las Vegas.
Whether Sloter has improved his practice habits is unknown but there is a scenario he could finally make his NFL debut during this stint in Minnesota.
The Vikings are thin at quarterback after Sean Mannion was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list. Although Zimmer expressed confidence Mannion would avoid missing time due to his vaccination status, he has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Packers.
With Kirk Cousins following protocols for unvaccinated players this season, the Vikings would have been down to third-round rookie Kellen Mond if he landed on the COVID-19/reserve list.
By bringing back Sloter, the Vikings at least have a quarterback that knows the offense. Whether they’ll actually need him depends on what happens over the final two weeks.
