After a 3-0 win in Week 14, the Minnesota Vikings are now 7-6 this season. Injuries have derailed the team from reaching their true potential in 2023. They lost Kirk Cousins in Week 8 due to a torn Achilles and Justin Jefferson missed extended time with a hamstring injury. Minnesota has already started three different QBs this season.
In their last game against the Raiders, the Vikings narrowly won 3-0. Joshua Dobbs started the game and was benched in the fourth quarter for backup Nick Mullens. Ahead of Minnesota’s Week 15 matchup vs. the Vikings, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Mullens will be the starter. After four straight starts, Dobbs is finally headed to the bench for the Vikings.
Will Nick Mullens be able to pull out a win for the Vikings in Week 15?
A QB change for the #Vikings: Nick Mullens is set to start against the #Bengals, with Josh Dobbs heading to the bench, per me and @TomPelissero.
Mullens is healthy after his time on Injured Reserve and now jumps into a playoff race. pic.twitter.com/M1cthGN6C9
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2023
When Kirk Cousins went down earlier this season, the Vikings knew they needed to make a move at QB. At the time, they only had one active QB on the roster, rookie Jaren Hall. He did get the chance to start in Week 9 but was quickly ruled out of the game with a concussion. Luckily, Minnesota had just traded at the deadline for Joshua Dobbs who came in to make a relief appearance.
He ended up playing in five games for the Vikings this season and made four starts. Dobbs was 2-2 as a starter for Minnesota. Now, he’ll be on the bench as veteran QB Nick Mullens will be the lead signal-caller in Week 15. Mullens has been a backup all of his career, but he’s ready for this moment. He would have started over Dobbs in Week 9 if he was not on the IR with a back injury. The 28-year-old is fully healthy and will get the chance to start his first game of the season in Week 15 vs. the Bengals.
Nick Mullens will start Saturday vs. Bengals pic.twitter.com/OMIHhZiEga
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 12, 2023
In his six-year NFL career, Nick Mullens is 5-12 in 17 starts. He’s played in 25 total games for three different franchises. From 2018-2020, he was with the 49ers. Mullens made 16 of his 17 career starts with San Francisco. Additionally, he was with the Browns in 2021 and made just one start. Backup QBs are always ready for an opportunity to prove themselves. Mullens has the chance to do that this Saturday in a primetime game vs. the Bengals.
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