The Vikings need a win to stay in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race. They will have to trust a quarterback who has never won an NFL start to get them there during their Week 17 "Sunday Night Football" matchup with the Packers.
That would be Sean Mannion.
Mannion is a long-time backup quarterback who has spent the last three years with the Vikings. He has almost exclusively served as Kirk Cousins' backup during his time in Minnesota, but has started once for the team. Ironically, it also came in Week 17, during the 2019 season. The Vikings were playing for nothing in that game, as they had already locked up a playoff spot. This time, Minnesota's season is on the line — and Mannion will need to guide the team to a massive upset victory.
Here's everything you need to know about Mannion as he makes his first start in two years:
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Who is Sean Mannion?
Mannion, 29, is a former third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 13,600 yards, 83 touchdowns and 54 interceptions as a four-year starter at Oregon State, and the Rams selected him with the 89th overall pick to have him compete for the starting job with Nick Foles and Case Keenum.
Mannion threw just seven passes as a rookie and saw the Rams select Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. He spent the next three years buried on the Rams' depth chart and made just one start for them in 2017.
Mannion became a free agent and signed with the Vikings in 2019. He made one start for them over two years before becoming a free agent again. He joined the Seahawks in July of 2021 but was released on Sept. 1. He then rejoined the Vikings as their top backup ahead of fourth-round rookie Kellen Mond.
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Sean Mannion career stats
During his seven-year career, Mannion has appeared in 13 games, starting two. He has attempted just 74 career NFL passes.
Here's an in-depth look at Mannion's stats in that small sample size:
| Games played | Starts | Record | Completion % | Passing yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions |
| 13 | 2 | 0-2 | 60.8 | 384 | 0 | 3 |
Mannion has never recorded an NFL touchdown. He last scored in the "Civil War" rivalry vs. Oregon game on Nov. 29, 2014 — 2,591 days ago.
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Vikings QB depth chart
Mannion is set to be the top quarterback for the Vikings while rookie Kellen Mond will serve as his backup. Kyle Sloter will be the team's third-string option if the team keeps him active for this week's game.
- Sean Mannion
- Kellen Mond
- Kyle Sloter