Vikings Must Bench Nick Mullens for Unproven $4 Million QB

The Minnesota Vikings reached the end of the rope with Josh Dobbs in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders two weeks ago. The time has now come for head coach Kevin O’Connell to send Nick Mullens to the bench as well.

The Vikings are among the NFL leaders in turnovers, and Mullens has already contributed his fair share. The quarterback has played just nine quarters for Minnesota in 2023 and is already responsible for six giveaways, all of which have come in the form of interceptions. He is also 0-2 as the starter.

The frustration caused by Mullens’ play showed on the sidelines Sunday, December 24, as Minnesota fell to the Detroit Lions by a score of 30-24 with the QB tossing four interceptions on the afternoon. Kevin Seifert of ESPN described O’Connell’s reaction to Mullens’ second pick of the game via X, and the picture he painted wasn’t pretty.

“That exchange between Kevin O’Connell and Nick Mullens is about as animated as you’ll see O’Connell,” Seifert wrote. “Looked like Mullens had several options to throw to on that play.”

Mullens has unquestionably revived an offense that scored just 33 points over Dobbs’ final three starts. But despite 797 yards through the air, 4 passing touchdowns and a total 48 points combined over the past two contests, Minnesota must give rookie quarterback Jaren Hall a chance to start — and they must do it next week against the Green Bay Packers.

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Vikings Fear Jaren Hall’s Inexperience, but Nick Mullens’ Turnover Problems Are Worse

Darren Wolfson of KSTP reported on December 19 that the Vikings are hesitant to play Hall due to concerns over his propensity for turning over the football.

That fear must stem from the rookie’s work in practice, as Hall avoided any turnovers in the less than one quarter he played as the team’s starter against the Atlanta Falcons on November 5 before a concussion sidelined him. The QB lost a fumble in relief of Kirk Cousins after he went out with an Achilles tear against the Packers the week before, though one can credit that turnover as much to the Vikings offensive line as to Hall.

“I’ve heard there’s reluctance to go with the rookie,” Wolfson said on SKOR North’s Mackey and Judd podcast. “As long as the playoffs are attainable, they’re not ready to throw Jaren Hall out there.”

Given the fifth-round rookie’s lack of experience, it is unfair to suggest Minnesota’s fears about him are unwarranted. After all, the coaches know way more than any of us do given their access to Hall on a daily basis.

That said, if the Vikings are concerned about missing the playoffs due to turnovers from the quarterback position, then they can’t yank Mullens from the starting lineup fast enough.

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Vikings Face Major Decision at QB This Offseason, Must Determine Who They Have in Jaren Hall

O’Connell had enough faith in Hall to start him against Atlanta, and Hall may have kept the job were it not for Dobbs’ immediate heroics in his stead. Mullens was on IR with a back injury at the time Hall entered the starting lineup. Mullens got the nod once he returned healthy, and Dobbs proved himself incapable of captaining a functioning offense.

Now with Cousins out for the year, Dobbs demoted to third-string status and Mullens throwing an interception every quarter and a half, the time has come for Minnesota to take a chance on Hall.

The team figures to select somewhere in the mid-teens to early-20s in the 2024 NFL Draft and needs to know what it has in its $4.1 million rookie QB. Learning that will help inform the franchise’s decision on whether to draft a new signal-caller in that range or go another direction.

If Hall is truly ready to roll, the Vikings kill two birds with one stone. If he isn’t, they can always go back to Mullens or Dobbs in the second half of Week 17 and/or in the final game of the season. Either way, the franchise will have a better sense of who they have in Hall, which is crucial knowledge as the Vikings plot their future.

Minnesota is 7-8 with a home game against Green Bay and a road contest in Detroit to finish the season, and two victories will probably be enough to get Minnesota into the postseason. It is unclear if Hall can lead the team to the playoffs, though it appears unlikely that either Dobbs or Mullens is capable of getting the job done.

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