EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Jake Browning left Washington with more wins than any player in Pac-12 history, a four-year starter whose productive career put him in the company of a long line of standout Huskies quarterbacks.

His experience in the NFL has been a stark contrast from the pageantry of the national semifinals he reached as a sophomore and the Rose Bowl that served as his final college game.

Browning’s first two years as a pro were exclusively behind-the-scenes work on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, as he took the unglamorous steps toward trying to climb up the depth chart and get a foothold in a league that annually chews up and spits out another slate of prospects.

“Basically finding any possible way that I can get better without actually taking a ton of reps,” said Browning, who suddenly found himself in heavy duty this week when starter Kirk Cousins and backups Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley were sidelined by COVID-19 protocols.

He made good on those extra opportunities, too.

After telling head coach Mike Zimmer not to cut his plays on Saturday, the first day Cousins and company were out, Browning turned some heads with a crisp performance under the lights at the team’s facility. He has continued to confidently lead the offense since then, with emergency free agents Danny Etling and Case Cookus joining camp this week.

Mond tested positive for the virus, and Zimmer only shrugged his shoulders when asked Wednesday when the rookie might be back. Cousins and Stanley, who were deemed high-risk close contacts, were expected to return to practice on Thursday, Zimmer said.

Being the only vaccinated quarterback can only help Browning’s cause to get the No. 2 spot, but handling his unexpected time this week in the spotlight well will go even further.

Browning never had to redshirt in college, so the last two years were a significant adjustment.

“I spent a lot of time in the weight room. I think just in general, having some success then going undrafted, it definitely makes you look in the mirror and be like, ‘All right. I went undrafted for a reason. What do I need to get better at?'” he said.