Vikings QB Says Goodbye
Rather quickly in free agency last week, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens chose the Jacksonville Jaguars as his next NFL home.
Vikings QB Says Goodbye
Free agency popped off fast and furious for the purple team, with Mullens as an odd man out, joining the AFC South.
And when the dust settled on free agency’s first week, Mullens made sure to say goodbye to all Vikings fans.
A Farewell from Nick Mullens
Mullens wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “The culture of Minnesota sports will always be important to me. I’m very thankful for my 3 years in Minnesota. Coaches, teammates, staff, the fans — the place does it right and I’m so thankful I got to be a part of it! SKOL always.”
The veteran signal-caller netted a two-year deal in Jacksonville worth $6.5 million, with $3 million guaranteed.
Because of his fearless on-the-field persona, Vikings fans will remember Mullens quite fondly.
New Job with Jaguars
Ex-Vikings assistant quarterback coach Grant Udinski bolted for Jacksonville this offseason, and Mullens followed. Udinski held the job in Minnesota during Mullens’ tenure, and the two will reunite in Jacksonville, along with tight end Johnny Mundt, who became a Jaguar last week as well.
“I was very excited to stay with Grant,” Mullens said this week at a welcome-to-Jacksonville presser.
“We’ve worked together for the past three years, and it’s been really cool to watch his development from starting out as just like the assistant to the head coach, just slowly year by year, just more and more football game planning. And I’m very excited to be here and very excited to work with Grant and the rest of the staff.”
Here’s the Jaguars’ QB room at the moment:
- Trevor Lawrence
- Nick Mullens
- John Wolford
Lawrence fell injured last season, so Mullens seizing the QB2 job could ultimately result in playing time. He’s one snap away from QB1 duties.
Legacy with Vikings
A gunslinging QB2, Mullens started three games for the 2023 Vikings — and Minnesota lost all three. His insertion into the starting lineup inconveniently corresponded with the death of Brian Flores’ 2023 defense. The moment Mullens took the scepter versus the Cincinnati Bengals last December, Flores’ defense stopped playing well. It was really bizarre.
He also saw a couple of snaps in 2024 when Sam Darnold briefly left games due to injury, but those occurrences never lasted longer than a drive.
Two and a half years ago, Mullens joined Minnesota via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for a late-round draft pick when the new coaching staff [at the time] didn’t trust second-year passer Kellen Mond for QB2 duty.
The wily veteran passer was moved to tears after the final start in 2023. Mullens told reporters after his team lost to the Lions, “I love the Vikings. I love the team. It’s like, whoa: We were 1-4, then went 5-0. Your starter goes down, and you’d love to say, like, ‘Us quarterbacks, who’s ever back there, led the team to the playoffs.’ That’s what we hoped for. Didn’t get it done.”
“It’s been fun. Like I said, I love the Vikings. It sucks. But it was a fun season. You learn a lot. You go through a lot,” he added that day.
Sans the interceptions — Mullens threw 7 in 4 games in 2023 — the 29-year-old drove the ball downfield in Minnesota’s offense repeatedly and almost effortlessly at times. Meanwhile, Mullens took over as the starter right when the Vikings’ defense plunged to the bottom of the NFL that season, again — inconvenient timing for a backup quarterback.
Current QB2 Replacement Options
Minnesota will need a Mullens replacement, and the team has not yet addressed his direct predecessor unless Brett Rypien is the guy.
These are free-agent options as of March 18th:
- Joe Flacco
- Trey Lance
- Drew Lock
- Ryan Tannehill
- Carson Wentz
- Jameis Winston
There’s also all the Aaron Rodgers smoke, although his relationship is unlikely to materialize. Sooner rather than later, J.J. McCarthy will need some QB2 support.
Garrett Bradbury Chooses New Team
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.