“Other” Vikings QB Signs with Jaguars
The one quarterback lost in the Minnesota Vikings offseason discourse is heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Other” Vikings QB Signs with Jaguars
He’s Nick Mullens, a Viking for three seasons, and he’s on his way to the AFC.
NFL Network‘s Mike Garafolo tweeted Monday, “The Jaguars have agreed to terms with QB Nick Mullens on a two-year, $6.5 million deal with $3 million guaranteed, source says. The new backup to Trevor Lawrence, Mullens goes from Minnesota to Jacksonville along with new Jags assistant Grant Udinski.”
Udinski served as an assistant quarterback coach for the Vikings during Mullens’ tenure, and the two will reunite in Jacksonville.
Here’s the Jaguars’ QB room at the moment:
- Trevor Lawrence
- Nick Mullens
- John Wolford
And the Vikings’ version with Mullens out:
- J.J. McCarthy
- Brett Rypien
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 weird.
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.
Minus 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.
Mullens will be a dependable QB2 option in Jacksonville if something happens to Trevor Lawrence.
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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.
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