Vikings backup quarterback Nick Mullens, who is dealing with a back injury, did not throw during the portion of Thursday's practice open to reporters. The team signed former Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan to the practice squad for an additional arm.
Morgan was available locally to the Vikings. The 24-year-old quarterback has been recently serving as a volunteer analyst for Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck. He spent a few months with the Pittsburgh Steelers this summer, playing in three preseason games after going undrafted this spring.
Morgan took the spot of offensive tackle Hakeem Adeniji, who was promoted to the 53-man roster. He lined up behind Kirk Cousins and Jaren Hall, a fifth-round rookie, during drills at the start of Thursday's practice.
Morgan won a program-record 33 of his 47 career starts over five seasons for the University of Minnesota. His 9,454 passing yards rank second in Gophers history, and his 3,253 yards in 2019 remain a single-season program record.
If Mullens were to miss Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Morgan can be elevated from the practice squad. But that would mean taking up one of 48 game-day roster spots. New NFL rules allow teams to have an "inactive" third quarterback for games only if he is on the active roster.
Adeniji, a 2020 sixth-round pick by the Bengals, was initially signed Aug. 31 by the Vikings after he was waived by Cincinnati following training camp.
