Vikings Waive Quarterback Nate Stanley, Opening Spot on 90-Man Roster

The Vikings have waived quarterback Nate Stanley, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Stanley was a seventh-round pick (No. 244 overall) out of Iowa back in 2020 after a solid four-year career with the Hawkeyes. A big QB (6'4", 233) with a strong arm, Stanley was always a longshot to factor into the Vikings' plans because of his inconsistent accuracy and decision-making. Playing in a run-heavy offense at Iowa, he never completed 60 percent of his passes or threw for 3,000 yards in a season.

As a rookie in 2020, Stanley spent the entire season on the practice squad. He was placed on the Reserve/COVID list during 2021 training camp and had to miss 10 days due to being unvaccinated, which cost him an opportunity to impress when both Kirk Cousins and Kellen Mond were also out. Jake Browning was famously the Vikings' only available quarterback for a night practice at TCO Stadium last July 31st.

Stanley wound up spending last season on injured reserve.

This move brings the Vikings down to just three QBs heading into camp: Cousins, Mond, and Sean Mannion. It'll be interesting to see if Mond is able to step up and win the backup competition in August.

This also means the Vikings have an open spot on their 90-man roster. DT Ndamukong Suh and TE Kyle Rudolph are two veteran free agents who have been linked to Minnesota in rumors, but the move could also be a minor one to add depth at a certain position. The Vikings could look to go in a different direction with a fourth quarterback, if they so desire.