Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kellen Mond made just one game appearance in his rookie year after the organization selected him with a third-round pick in the 2021 draft.
Even when starting QB Kirk Cousins was unable to take the field in Week 17, Mike Zimmer and the Vikings elected to go with veteran signal caller Sean Mannion.
According to Mond’s father, Zimmer made this decision to spite the young QB and general manager Rick Spielman.
Zimmer reportedly did not want to draft Mond (or an quarterback for that matter) in the 2021 draft. Spielman made the push to select Mond with the 66th overall pick.
On top of that, Mond, who was unvaccinated, was forced to miss a significant chunk of training camp on the COVID-19 reserve list.
“Kellen was in (Zimmer’s) doghouse from the start because of the draft and then No. 2 the COVID.. He wasn’t going to give him the time and Zimmer not playing him at the end of the year was personally to me Zimmer just sticking his thumb at Spielman,” Mond’s father said, per Vikings insider Chris Tomasson.
“I think he wanted a defensive player (at that spot) .. Zimmer wasn’t mad at the person he was mad at the selection of the QB.. So whoever was going to get his venom thrown at him, it just happened to be Kellen,” the elder Mond added.
Fortunately for Mond, he won’t have to deal with this reported conflict any longer.
Both Zimmerman and Spielman were fired back in January, making way for new head coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
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