The Vikings’ QB Curverball Ahead of Preseason Game 1
Three’s a crowd, right?
Apparently, the plan is to start Sam Darnold against the Raiders before handing things off to J.J. McCarthy. The rookie is supposed to see “significant” time, per head coach Kevin O’Connell, before Jaren Hall takes the baton across the finish line. The Vikings’ QB curveball is that Nick Mullens, someone who has appeared to be a trade candidate since the 2024 NFL Draft, isn’t expected to play.
Nick Mullens and The Vikings’ QB Curveball
Over these past several weeks, O’Connell has voiced his support for Mullens.
In fact, one of his common points of praise is that Mullens understands the system well and doesn’t need the same on-ramp as the others. After all, Mullens got onboarded back in 2022, so the veteran has been in town the longest.
Not long ago, O’Connell had this to say about the veteran: “I wouldn’t discount Nick Mullens’ experience in our system over these last couple years, to maybe where he doesn’t quite necessarily need the volume of work to still be ready to go, if called upon during the season.”
More recently, O’Connell backed up those words by laying out how he plans to proceed in the upcoming Raiders game.
Yes, there’s the mention of Darnold getting the start before suggesting that McCarthy is going to be eating a hearty meal on Saturday (so to speak). The rookie is expected to get “significant” snaps. The curveball arrives shortly thereafter: “More than likely, J.J. will turn it over to Jaren Hall to finish. Talking to Nick Mullens, he’s had just an unbelievable way about him in that room with those guys. Stepping in, really, at any moment and going in and just executing our system.”
Keep in mind that the depth chart (though unofficial) has the QB2 spot described as “J.J. McCarthy OR Nick Mullens.” So, this decision to turn things over to Hall isn’t about the sophomore leapfrogging Mullens. Rather, it’s a testament to how little Mullens has to prove to the coaching staff.
The head coach goes on: “He’s already proven that he knows our system. Nick will get plenty of work as we move forward through the rest of the training camp. But he will be available but might not play in this one in an attempt to really maximize the ops for some guys that are either new or, even in Jaren’s case, in Year 2 in the system.”
Nick Mullens first arrived in the Twin Cities after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pulled off a trade with the Raiders back in 2022. Apparently unenthused about Sean Mannion and/or Kellen Mond, the Vikings snagged Mullens for a 7th and then extended him beyond just the 2022 season. Currently, the veteran is gobbling up $2,230,000 in cap space on the final year of his deal.
At every turn, O’Connell has been complimentary of the veteran. Does sitting him in the preseason game suggest that his roster spot is assured?
The head coach’s words make it sound as though there is very little left to prove. Mullens has not only been in Eagan for a couple of seasons but has done plenty to convince the coaching staff that he knows the system like the back of his hand.
Part of that knowledge carries over from playing a decent bit last season. The journeyman passer led the team to victory against the Raiders but couldn’t keep the good times rolling the rest of the way. He did, however, complete 67.6% of his passes for 1,306 yards.
The offense was explosive under his guidance but also prone to turnovers. The 7 touchdown passes partnered with 8 interceptions. Those INTs coincided with a step back for the defense and several losses to end 2023.
There is a small chance — small — that sitting Nick Mullens is about preserving his health so as not to undermine his potential trade value. Keeping four quarterbacks would be highly unusual so trading one makes sense. Is that QB going to be Mullens? Possible.
But, to be sure, anyone who has listened to Kevin O’Connell speak recently will tell you that the Vikings’ head coach has a ton of faith in Mr. Mullens. A major reason why is because the veteran has a brain in his head and has demonstrated tremendous maturity when it comes to navigating the crowded QB room.
The Raiders game gets going tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT and will be taking place at U.S. Bank Stadium. Failing to see Nick Mullens step onto the field may be a strong indication that he’s going to make the final roster.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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