4 biggest disappointments from the Vikings 2020 training camp
By Adam Patrick
No one is beating out Mannion for the No. 2 quarterback job
Sean Mannion is a terrible quarterback. This isn’t a secret, so it’s not like some outrageously bold statement is being made by saying this.
Mannion is entering his sixth season in the NFL and he still hasn’t thrown a single touchdown pass (not one). During this same time period, wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Danny Amendola, Emmanuel Sanders, Mohamed Sanu, and Larry Fitzgerald have all thrown at least one pass that resulted in a touchdown.
What sort of dirt does Mannion have on people that’s allowed him to remain in the league for so long? This is an extremely serious question because he has shown nothing in his NFL career that should result in him keeping a job for as long as he has.
“Oh, well he’s like another coach on the sideline.” Great, are the Vikings going to throw Mike Zimmer out in the secondary if Harrison Smith gets hurt this season too? No, they’re not. So let’s try and find a new excuse for why Mannion is still on Minnesota’s roster.
This summer, he’s still getting reps as the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback during the team’s training camp. Jake Browning and rookie Nate Stanley are the other two signal-callers on Minnesota’s roster and neither have really been given a shot to compete with Mannion for the role of Kirk Cousins’ backup.
So if the Vikings roll into the upcoming season with Mannion as their No. 2 quarterback, don’t feel bad for them if Cousins has to miss time due to injury or a positive COVID-19 test. Minnesota is banking on Cousins staying healthy and available all year long and in a sport like football, that is a foolish decision to make.