The Vikings suffered a listless offensive performance in Saturday’s preseason loss to the 49ers, with reserve quarterbacks Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion together leading just one goal. Two days later, the team can have a completely new backup. As the final roster cuts loom on August 30, Minnesota acquired Nick Mullens from the Raiders in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick, the team announcedadding a potential new number 2 behind Kirk Cousins.
Mannion has spent most of the past three years as Cousins’ top backup, but he’s had two emergency starts. Mond, meanwhile, is only a year away from entering as a third-round pick. He got more second-team work this summer and threw for two touchdowns in the Vikings’ preseason opener, but was off target throughout Saturday’s loss, going 10 of 20 for 82 yards and two interceptions. This after the Texas A&M product appeared in just one game as a rookie.
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Mullens, meanwhile, has a relatively extensive experience under centre, starting 17 games in five seasons as a substitute. The 27-year-old veteran spent the first four years of his career with the 49ers, who signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2017, including starting eight games in place of injured Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018 and 2020. After an offseason with the Eagles, Mullens spent 2021 with the Browns as No. 3 behind Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum, then signed with the Raiders in April.
Las Vegas is expected to carry former Patriots starter Jarrett Stidham as a replacement for Derek Carr, which made Mullens unnecessary.
Which team won the trade for Mullens? Here are our ratings:
Raiders: C+
Getting anything in exchange for a No. 3 QB mate, with final roster cuts on the horizon, is a minor victory. Stidham was always going to be the favorite to be Carr’s replacement under Josh McDaniels, who helped develop the former with the Patriots. And it’s not like the Raiders can’t find an equivalent emergency starter (eg Cam Newton, Mike Glennon) if injuries hit them hard on the road. They essentially eat $500,000 to add a seventh in 2024, confirming that this is an unspectacular but passable move.
Vikings: B
Mullens may not be a top-notch substitute, proving a little too prone to forced throws when he started for back-to-back games. But he’s at least a definite upgrade over Mannion, and possibly Mond, in terms of No. 2 with an upside. One of the few weak spots in the Vikings’ underrated offense was the back-up QB position, which was rarely dealt with adequately during the Cousins era, and Mullens will cost just $1.4 million as an alternative. His experience on Kyle Shanahan’s teams makes him a good fit for a unit that can rely on Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison in case Cousins goes down for a long stretch.
