Inside The Vikings

Kevin O'Connell Announces Nick Mullens as Vikings' Starting QB vs. Bengals

Mullens will become the fourth quarterback to start a game for the Vikings this season — a new record.
Will Ragatz|
Kevin O'Connell Announces Nick Mullens as Vikings' Starting QB vs. Bengals
Kevin O'Connell Announces Nick Mullens as Vikings' Starting QB vs. Bengals

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Minnesota Vikings

For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Vikings will have a fourth different quarterback start a game within one season when Nick Mullens trots onto the field in Cincinnati this Saturday. 

Kevin O'Connell just officially announced that Mullens — who was inserted for Josh Dobbs in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 3-0 win in Vegas — will get the start against the Bengals in Week 15.

Mullens joins Kirk Cousins (Weeks 1-8), Jaren Hall (Week 9), and Dobbs (Weeks 10-14) as QBs to start for the Vikings this season. In the previous 61 seasons of Vikings football, there have never been more than three QBs to start a game within a single season. That has happened 12 times, most recently in 2014 (Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder).

Mullens, 28, has been in the Vikings' system since being acquired from the Raiders in August 2022. He previously started 16 games with the 49ers from 2018-2020 and one game for the Browns in 2021. Mullens wasn't an option when Cousins went down in Week 8, as he was on injured reserve with a back issue at the time. He's now fully healthy.

After replacing a struggling Dobbs with nine minutes left in a scoreless game against the Raiders, Mullens completed 9 of 13 passes for 83 yards. He converted three third downs through the air on the Vikings' only scoring drive of the day, getting them in field goal range for Greg Joseph's game-winner.

Mullens has backup-caliber arm talent, but he knows O'Connell's offense and is able to make his reads and decisions within the rhythm and timing of the scheme. If he plays at an adequate level and stays healthy, he'll likely be the Vikings' QB the rest of the way — though you can never rule out Dobbs or Hall seeing the field again in this crazy season.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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