EXCLUSIVE Vikings announce Nick Mullens will continue as starting quarterback for Week 16 vs Lions:
Following the Vikings’ overtime defeat to the Bengals in Week 15, head coach Kevin O’Connell made no commitment to start Nick Mullens at quarterback. However, he will do just that, confirming to reporters on Monday that Mullens will continue to start Sunday’s game against the Lions.
In Cincinnati, where he finished 26 of 33 for 303 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 27-24 loss, the career backup had his first start of the 2023 campaign. After the game, O’Connell, however, expressed gratitude for Mullens’ self-assurance.
“The biggest thing is Nick showed he can execute our offense and really move the football team,” O’Connell stated on Sunday. “I believe that the plays that we don’t try to do are what we need to keep working through.”
Mullens is the Vikings’ fourth starting quarterback of the season. Mullens started 2023 as Kirk Cousins’ backup, but his own back issue kept him out of action when Cousins subsequently suffered a ruptured Achilles.
After a concussion forced rookie Jaren Hall to step in for a while, Joshua Dobbs—who was acquired at the trade deadline—to take over. As an instant dual threat, Dobbs immediately won over fans, but he lost steam after making eight mistakes in a 2-2 stretch.
