After Kellen Mond’s positive test for COVID-19, the Minnesota Vikings have been left scrambling for quarterbacks. NFL safety protocols dictated that Mond, Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley be placed into isolation on Saturday night leaving Jake Browning to take all of the reps at Saturday’s practice.
The Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer reports that Mond is vaccinated and expected to be back in a couple of days if he is asymptomatic and tests negative. Meanwhile, Cousins is listed as a high-risk close contact, which requires a five-day isolation period and indicates he is not vaccinated.
With most quarterbacks already in other training camps, the Vikings have to get creative to find some camp arms until Cousins and Stanley return to the field.
The process began on Saturday night when ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported that quarterbacks coach Andrew Janacko was throwing passes during individual drills. Upon hearing the news, former St. John’s quarterback Jackson Erdman offered his services on Twitter.
I’m literally 7.4 miles from the facility. Hit my line @Vikings
— Jerdy (@jerdydude) August 1, 2021
Erdman last played professionally with the Wild Aces of Fan Controlled Football and worked with the Vikings as part of a receiver tryout earlier this offseason. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Erdman impressed Viking officials during the tryout and will get a tryout of his own on Monday.
The Vikings will also bring in Case Cookus, a former Northern Arizona quarterback who went undrafted in 2020. While Cookus has spent time with the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, he has never made a regular-season roster.
According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Cookus also has experience with the Vikings, flying to the Twin Cities to help with Dede Westbrook’s free-agent workout on July 24.
If all goes well, both quarterbacks could at least get a one-week stint until Cousins and Stanley clear protocol. Until then, it should set up an interesting scene before the Vikings’ first padded practice on Monday where fans will need to keep their rosters available to find out who is under center.
