Kellen Mond will likely never take a single snap for the Indianapolis Colts, but anything is possible. The young quarterback was recently signed to the Colts’ practice squad following Anthony Richardson’s shoulder injury. Richardson suffered an AC joint sprain during last Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The starting rookie quarterback is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
The Colts worked out four quarterbacks: Mond, Holton Ahlers, Trace McSorley, and former Notre Dame star Ian Book. Obviously, they went with Mond, who will become the team’s third-string signal-caller while Richardson is out. Gardner Minshew is now the starter and he’ll be backed up by third-year player Sam Ehlinger.
Kellen Mond Could Make an Impact on the Indianapolis Colts
Who is Kellen Mond?
If you’re not a huge college football fan, you’ve probably never heard of Mond. The San Antonio native has barely played in the NFL. Mond spent four seasons with the Texas A&M Aggies, throwing for 9,661 yards and 71 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,608 yards and 22 scores. He finished his collegiate career as one of only three SEC quarterbacks to ever produce at least 9,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards. Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott were the first two players to accomplish the feat.
Mond was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round (66th overall pick) of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 2021 Senior Bowl MVP has spent time with both the Vikings and Cleveland Browns. However, has only played one regular season game, attempting just three passes as a rookie in Minnesota. The Browns cut Mond during this year’s preseason. They decided to sign P.J. Walker as the third quarterback behind Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
He Could Take the Field for the Colts This Season
When you’re a third-string quarterback, you usually don’t see the field during the regular season. Yet, Mond could wind up playing for the Colts at some point this year. It’s possible that Minshew could get injured (knock on wood). If that were to happen, Ehlinger would become the starter. Ehlinger could get injured as well (knock on wood, again), meaning Mond would get promoted to starting quarterback. Even if Ehlinger stays healthy, his play last year didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his long-term outlook.
Third-stringer Brock Purdy became QB1 for the San Francisco 49ers a season ago. Starter Trey Lance and primary backup Jimmy Garoppolo both went down with injuries, paving the way for “Mr. Irrelevant” to emerge. Will Mond morph into the next Purdy and lead the Colts to a conference championship game? No, that’s not going to come to fruition, but if the injury bug continues to bite, Mond could be under center and actually make an impact.
Mond is sort of similar to Richardson. He can be effective as a passer as well as a runner. He should be an ideal fit for Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who achieved success with fellow dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. Steichen previously coached Hurts as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator for the past few years. If you’re a Colts fan, don’t run out and purchase a Kellen Mond jersey. Don’t be surprised, though, if he ends up seeing the field. Stranger things have happened.
Main Photo: Denny Medley – USA Today Sports
