The New Orleans Saints have added more depth in the quarterback room in the form of former Vikings draft pick Kellen Mond.
The Saints announced the free agent signing Friday morning.
Mond was a third round pick of the Vikings in 2021, where Klint Kubiak was offensive coordinator and Andrew Janocko was QBs coach. That's the current setup for the Saints in 2024, making the pairing a fitting one.
"I was fortunate to get drafted there and, you know, learned a lot of my rookie year under him and Janocko and Kirk Cousins and those guys," Mond told reporters on Friday. "Glad to be here with him in New Orleans.”
The Texas native only spent one season with the Vikings. Head coach Mike Zimmer was fired, as was Kubiak and the rest of the offensive staff. Mond was waived prior to the 2022 season and has since spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. Mond's only career stats came in the 2021 season when he completed 2 of 3 attempts for 5 yards.
Mond's name will likely be familiar to Louisiana sports fans due to his time at Texas A&M, something he has in common with several Saints coaches and players, including Kubiak and head coach Dennis Allen. Mond was the quarterback for the Aggies in the finale of the 2018 regular season against LSU, a game Texas A&M won in 8 overtimes against the Joe Burrow-led Tigers. Foster Moreau, currently on the Saints roster, caught a touchdown in that game for the Tigers.
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Mond also has ties to Saints center Erik McCoy, one of the QB's teammates at A&M, as well as guard Cesar Ruiz, whom he teamed up with during his high school days.
The Saints now have four players in the QB room led by veteran Derek Carr. Mond is joined with second-year pro Jake Haener, whom the Saints selected in the 4th round a year ago, and recently signed veteran Nathan Peterman. The Saints also announced the signing of veteran WR Equanimeous St. Brown on Friday.
"You kind of already hear it in the building, just about the phenomenal culture here, great stability within the building," Mond said, "and just trying to make this team as good as I possibly can with the role that I’m given.”