George Kittle Is a Fan of the Nick Mullens Experience
Ted Schwerzler
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The Minnesota Vikings have turned the page again at the quarterback position, and for the fourth different time this year, Kevin O’Connell will have a new starting signal-caller. While Nick Mullens as a starter isn’t something Skol Nation has seen, his former teammate George Kittle is a fan.
George Kittle Is a Fan of the Nick Mullens Experience
Before the Minnesota Vikings made a trade for Nick Mullens before the 2022 National Football League season, they had rostered less-than-ideal backups behind Kirk Cousins. To avoid the debacle that would be someone like Sean Mannion playing a game for them, they got a backup with a much higher floor.
While Mullens is hardly a starting quality caliber by QB1 standards, he presents a respectable ability to win a game at the highest level. Having started previously for the San Francisco 49ers, the former Iowa Hawkeyes tight end has benefited directly from the games Mullens has played.
Following the decision to turn to Mullens, Kittle weighed in on X.
While Mullens has hardly earned the moniker “BDN” on the field, he possesses the same name as the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback who came out of nowhere to win a Super Bowl. Taking over in the final weeks of the season for the Doug Pederson-led Philly team, Foles pulled off a 2-1 finish to the regular season before winning three in a row during the playoffs.
After putting a ring on his finger, Foles donned the “BDN” nickname and found himself in line for a new contract. The luster wore off quickly as he became a journeyman for the duration of his career, but there will never be anyone who forgets that amazing stretch.
The Vikings don’t need Mullens to be a Cousins-level of good, and they don’t need him to be the second coming of a superstar. Realistically, none of that is going to happen. Mullens has started plenty in this league and has put up just a 5-12 record in those contests. O’Connell needs a quarterback that allows his offense to make a difference and protects the football enough not to hurt the team as a whole.
It will be a battle of the backups on Saturday when the Vikings head to Cincinnati and face off against former practice squad member Jake Browning. Despite the hot stretch that Browning has been on, Minnesota has to be hoping Brian Flores’ elite defense can cool his efforts and keep the Bengals in check. Whether it’s Mullens or yet another switch, one has to think O’Connell’s club must do no worse than 2-2 the rest of the way if they want to make the playoffs.
With the craziness that has taken place on the scoreboard across the NFL this year, it’s not unfathomable to think that Mullens could capture some magic with a talented supporting cast. Maybe he earns himself a replication of Foles’ “BDN” nickname. Kittle at least likes to think it fits.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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