Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell announced QB Nick Mullens will be their starting quarterback for Week 18 against the Lions, per Kevin Seifert.
Minnesota started Jaren Hall in their previous game against the Packers, but O’Connell cited Mullens’ “ability to move the team” as his reason to change things up.
Mullens, 28, wound up signing on with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss back in 2017. He was waived coming out of the preseason and later added to their practice squad.
The 49ers brought Mullens back on a futures contract in 2018 only to release him at the start of the regular season. Mullens had a brief stint on their practice squad before being called up following Jimmy Garoppolo‘s season-ending knee injury.
Mullens re-signed as an exclusive rights free agent heading into 2020 but San Francisco declined to tender him as a restricted free agent. The Eagles signed him to a contract before releasing him and he eventually caught on with the Browns.
Mullens signed with the Raiders as a backup to QB Derek Carr but was traded to the Vikings for a 2024 seventh-round pick. Minnesota re-signed him to a contract last offseason.
In 2023, Mullens has appeared in four games for the Vikings and completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 910 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions.
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