Early leader emerging in Vikings No. 2 quarterback battle

Who will emerge as the top backup quarterback behind Kirk Cousins for the Minnesota Vikings when the 2021 season begins in September?

We all know that, barring injury, Kirk Cousins will be starting under center for the Minnesota Vikings when they take the field for their first game of the 2021 season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Who will take the field in Week 1 as the Vikings‘ No. 2 quarterback, however, is something that still needs to be sorted out this summer during training camp and the preseason.

After Minnesota selected former Texas A&M signal-caller Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, most have assumed that he will emerge as the top backup behind Cousins this year. But that actually happening is still far from a guarantee.

Who currently has the edge in the competition to be the Minnesota Vikings No. 2 quarterback?

Along with Mond, Nate Stanley and Jake Browning are also attempting to enter the upcoming season as the Vikings’ No. 2 signal-caller.

Minnesota offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak answered some questions from the local media on Thursday and he provided some insight on what’s been happening with the quarterbacks behind Cousins on the depth chart.

Kubiak said that Browning “had a tremendous,” minicamp and that Stanley has “impressed as well [this offseason] and has come a long way.” On Mond, Kubiak says that the rookie has also “come a long way in these few weeks,” in addition to saying the young passer “is a tireless worker, and he has to be because he’s got to keep up with those guys ahead of him.”

Just from these recent comments by the Vikings offensive coordinator, it seems like Browning is currently in the lead to win the team’s top backup job behind Cousins.

How big of a lead does he have? It’s difficult to determine at this point, but it’s hard to imagine the third-year quarterback is blowing the other two out of the water.

Luckily, there are preseason games this year, so we should be able to get a clear understanding of who has the edge in the backup battle once Minnesota takes the field for their first exhibition matchup later this summer.

So, for now, it seems like Browning is in the lead. But there still isn’t any reason to count out Stanley or Mond to emerge as the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback before the start of the 2021 season.