After surprisingly parting ways with UDFA QB Jamie Newman before Training Camp even had a chance to start, the Philadelphia Eagles have wasted little time in finding a suitable QB3 replacement. Former Niners QB Nick Mullens has signed with the team, according to an official announcement on Monday morning.
Mullens will join Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco in the QB room and will likely provide some competition to Flacco as well as running with the third-string units. The Eagles still may look to add a fourth arm, but the signing of Mullens is an important one in terms of finalizing a structure.
How did we get here?
Nick Mullens was probably the best free agent QB available after the Eagles sat patiently on their hands as names like Tyrod Taylor and Jacoby Brissett were snapped up within days of the market opening. The signing of Joe Flacco wasn’t overly well received due to a history of not really showcasing any kind of valued leadership traits when it came to working with names like Drew Lock and Lamar Jackson.
Jamie Newman was a dual-threat option signed as a UDFA, but for whatever reason, was unable to stick on the roster after OTA’s concluded. The Eagles needed to find a name to at the very least give Joe Flacco a reason to turn over his shoulder, and someone capable enough of elevating what is a very young roster.
Get to know Nick Mullens
*The following comes from our article citing five free agent QB’s the Eagles should consider signing
Nick Mullens went undrafted back in 2018 and ended up spending three years with the San Francisco 49ers. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Injuries plagued the position and afforded Mullens 16 total starts and 19 appearances over those three seasons, accounting for 25 touchdowns and 22 interceptions on top of 4,714 yards in that span.
The Southern Miss product completed 64.7% of his passes in 2020, a season in which he stared 8 games. This is quite important. Mullens is battle tested to a point where he’s experienced the highs and lows of an NFL season (still rehabbing an injured shoulder) and has very recently started for half of one. Not many young QB’s bring that kind of resume to the table and he may have just enough in terms of upside for QB Coach Brian Johnson to work with.
He might not be the most accurate quarterback in the world, but he has been known to pull off the occasional upset. Having just turned 26, the Eagles are getting a player who is still relatively young in his development and as a result can likely reach higher heights under this new coaching staff.
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