WATCH: Former Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond caps perfect drive with touchdown pass in NFL preseason
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kellen Mond made his presence felt in the preseason opener on Sunday against Las Vegas. With his team trailing by two possessions late in the fourth quarter, Mond stepped back to throw a 20-yard touchdown pass that fell right into the hands of Albert Wilson.
The pass completed what was a perfect drive for Mond, as he went 5-for-5 for 71 yards. It also brought the Vikings within one touchdown, cutting the Raiders lead to 26-20.
Unfortunately, Minnesota did not get the ball back after that touchdown as Las Vegas went on to run out the clock and win the game. Mond entered the game midway through the second quarter and finished as the team’s leading passer, going 9-for-14 for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vikings selected Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft last offseason. He did not make his NFL debut until Week 17 when starter Kirk Cousins was out due to COVID-19. Mond served as the backup to Sean Mannion in that game against Green Bay, finishing 2-of-3 passing for five yards.
Prior to his pro career, Mond was a three-year starter at Texas A&M and led the Aggies to a 9-1 record and Orange Bowl victory as a senior. He finished his college career as the school’s all-time leading passer with 9,661 yards in addition to 71 touchdowns.
This year, Mond once again comes in at third on the Vikings depth chart behind Cousins and Mannion, the latter of whom started Sunday. However, Kellen Mond will have a chance to get some valuable reps this preseason and Sunday’s game was certainly a good start for him.
The Vikings have two more preseason games remaining: Saturday against San Francisco and Aug. 27 against Denver. After that, they will kick off the 2022 regular season on Sept. 11 against the Green Bay Packers.