Bleacher Report Says One Viking Is on the Chopping Block
If the Minnesota Vikings draft their quarterback of the future in two weeks — virtually everybody expects it — they’d have four quarterbacks on the active roster in May.
Bleacher Report Says One Viking Is on the Chopping Block
Kirk Cousins now works for the Atlanta Falcons, while Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall outfit the purple team’s QB depth chart. Most believe Minnesota will draft North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy on April 25th, meaning a crowded house could force one man out the door at quarterback.
And according to Bleacher Report, that’s Nick Mullens. BR’s Kristopher Knox identified eight players who could be cut or traded right after this month’s draft, and Mullens made the cut.
“If the Vikings do draft a quarterback early, there’s a good chance that journeyman quarterback Nick Mullens will be heading elsewhere. Minnesota signed Sam Darnold this offseason as a stopgap, and it took BYU’s Jaren Hall in the fifth round of the 2023 draft,” Knox wrote.
“While Mullens isn’t a star on the same level as Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins or Matthew Judon, he’s still a veteran quarterback with 20 starts on his resume and a respectable 88.1 career quarterback rating. We saw last season just how important quarterback depth can be, as teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets all lost their starters.”
For context, Knox mentioned Aiyuk, Higgins, Judon, and others in the same boat as Mullens — possible roster exits after the draft.
Knox continued, “The 2024 draft class isn’t particularly deep at quarterback, so teams that don’t land a developmental or backup signal-caller could be interested in the experienced Mullens. For example, the Denver Broncos only have Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci on their depth chart, while the New York Jets could look to move off No. 3 quarterback Zach Wilson. A lot will hinge on Minnesota finding its quarterback of the future during the draft, but Mullens could be expendable by the end of draft weekend.”
Truth be told, this is an outcome that Vikings fans should anticipate. It may take until later in the summer, but Sam Darnold made Mullens quasi-expendable.
Last year’s rookie, Jaren Hall, could also be expendable, but it might make more sense for Minnesota to retain him and let Mullens hit the open market.
Mullens started three games for the 2023 Vikings, and Minnesota lost all three. Inconveniently, Brian Flores’ mighty midseason defense died the moment Mullens put his hands under center. His “quarterback record” suffered.
But as the NFL experienced a large number of QB1 injuries in 2023, a market will exist for Mullens’ services regardless.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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