In his final year as the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings, Rick Spielman decided to use the team's first of four third-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft on former Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond.
It was the highest draft selection Spielman had used on a quarterback since 2014, when the Vikings picked Teddy Bridgewater in the opening round of that year's NFL Draft.
Well, whatever plans Spielman thought Minnesota could make with Mond, he never got to see them come to fruition as the longtime member of the Vikings' front office was fired by the team after the 2021 season. Less than a year later, the final quarterback he drafted during his tenure with the Vikings was let go as well.
Former Minnesota Vikings QB Kellen Mond to try out for the San Francisco 49ers
Since his departure from Minnesota before the 2022 regular season, Mond has been given a number of opportunities to continue to pursue his dream as a professional football player.
Thanks to the San Francisco 49ers, he's about to get another chance to keep his dream alive.
On Wednesday, the 49ers are holding a local Pro Day, and according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows, the former Vikings third-round pick will be participating in the event after being offered a tryout opportunity by San Francisco.
Currently, the 49ers have a quarterback group on their roster that includes Brock Purdy, Brandon Allen, and Josh Dobbs, who, of course, spent the second half of last season with Minnesota.
According to The Athletic's David Lombardi, Mond might have a decent shot at landing a contract with San Francisco, as the team has typically liked to have four quarterbacks on their offseason roster during the Kyle Shanahan era.
Since he was drafted by the Vikings in 2021, Mond has still only appeared in one game in his NFL career, and it was one that he'd probably like to forget. It happened in Week 17 of his rookie season with Minnesota when he was thrown out on the field for four plays in the team's embarrassing 37-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The most memorable moment actually took place after the game when Mike Zimmer was asked if he wanted to give Mond a shot at playing in the Vikings' meaningless 2021 regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears, and the former Minnesota head coach coldly replied, "Not particularly."
After Mond was let go by the Vikings before the start of the 2022 regular season, he was claimed on waivers by the Cleveland Browns. He wound up remaining with the Browns until the team made their final 2023 cuts. A few weeks later, the Indianapolis Colts signed Mond to their practice squad, and he remained there for the rest of the 2023 season.