With Jake Browning currently being the only available quarterback on their roster, the Minnesota Vikings are looking for some additional passing help this week.
For the Minnesota Vikings fans that were looking forward to getting an early preview of what to expect from this season’s team, Saturday night’s practice at the TCO Performance Center was an incredible disappointment.
Prior to the practice session, it was revealed that Vikings quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Nate Stanley, and Kellen Mond would not be participating due to issues related to COVID-19. According to multiple reports on Saturday, Mond tested positive for the virus while Cousins and Stanley had to sit out the practice because they were considered high-risk close contacts.
Jake Browning ended up being the only quarterback to throw on Saturday night, and although he had some promising moments, he obviously wasn’t the guy Minnesota fans originally made plans to see.
Minnesota Vikings reportedly bringing in multiple quarterbacks for workouts
There’s a good chance that Browning will still be the only available signal-caller when the Vikings take the field for their next practice on Monday.
To avoid this from happening, Minnesota is reportedly bringing in free-agent quarterbacks Case Cookus and Jackson Erdmann for workouts on Monday according to the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson and the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling.
Since his final college season at Northern Arizona in 2019, Cookus has had brief stints with the New York Giants and Denver Broncos. He has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game.
During his senior year at Northern Arizona in 2019, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Cookus completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 4,114 yards, 31 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. During his 12 appearances in the 2019 campaign, the 25-year-old passer threw for at least 350 yards and four touchdowns four different times.
Erdmann, a native of Rosemount, Minnesota, spent the majority of his college career at St. John’s University, and Monday’s workout will be his second with the Vikings in the last two weeks. He also took part in the recent workout that resulted in Minnesota signing Dede Westbrook.
Even if the Vikings decide to sign either passer after their workouts on Monday, the chances of them making the team’s final 2021 roster are still probably very low.
But at this point, Minnesota is just looking for someone who can give Browning some rest during practice until the other three quarterbacks are cleared to return to the team.