Vikings QB Kellen Mond getting praise from new coaching staff

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell recently spoke highly of second-year quarterback Kellen Mond, adding hope to his career with the team.

While no one knows exactly how Kevin O’Connell’s time with the Minnesota Vikings will play out, he’s slowly showing his hand in who he likes during the team’s OTAs this year.

Despite not wanting to be known as just an offensive coach, O’Connell has already started to sing his praise for Vikings players on that side of the ball.

During a recent press conference after one of Minnesota’s OTA practices, O’Connell spoke highly of second-year quarterback Kellen Mond.

"“Kellen’s having a good spring so far, working incredibly hard, digesting the system. He made a couple of checks yesterday at the line of scrimmage that he wasn’t prepared play-by-play for; he just instinctively did it. Those are the little things you look for.”"

Mond, who had a less than stellar rookie season, was under the regime of former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. Zimmer didn’t mince his words when it came to the 2021 third-round draft pick with the infamous “I see him every day” barb last year.

What high praises mean for the career of Kellen Mond with the Minnesota Vikings

Encouragement from his new head coach and a possible competition for the No. 2 quarterback position with Sean Mannion gives Mond the chance he may have assumed he had when he heard his name called by Vikings legend John Randle during the 2021 draft.

From O’Connell’s perspective, this gives him time to truly work with a mobile quarterback, as most of his career has been spent with pocket passers such as Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, and Matthew Stafford.

For Mond, he now has a second chance after Minnesota didn’t take a quarterback in this year’s draft. He can press reset on the goal he may have had when he was drafted in 2021 to take Cousins’ starting job and become the quarterback of the future for the Vikings.