Getty Quarterback Nick Mullens of the San Francisco 49ers.
A former San Francisco 49ers signal caller may be about to get another chance as a starter in the NFL, but it isn’t an opportunity he ever expected.
The Cleveland Browns are in a bind, with 23 players currently designated to the reserve/COVID-19 list after an outbreak tore through the ranks of the roster. Among the players currently sidelined are starting QB Baker Mayfield and backup QB Case Keenum.
That leaves former Niners quarterback, and current Cleveland third-stringer, Nick Mullens in line to get another shot as an NFL starter. He played that role for several games across two different seasons in San Francisco during his three-year tenure with the team.
Mullens Brings Starting Experience to Depleted Browns Team
GettySan Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens taking a snap against the New York Jets.
Mullens started 16 games, appearing in 19 total, over three years with the 49ers after signing there in 2017 as an undrafted free agent. During that span, he completed 64.5% of his passes for 4,714 yards, per Pro Football Reference. He also threw 25 touchdown passes compared to 22 interceptions and scored 2 rushing TDs, as well.
The Browns signed Mullens to the practice squad this season, where he has remained for almost the entirety of his time in Cleveland. He suited up only once, in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, backing up Keenum who filled in for the then-injured Mayfield on a short week.
Keenum edged out Denver 17-14 in that contest, but he had a relatively healthy team around him at the time. Should Mullens be the starter against the Las Vegas Raiders come Saturday, he will be saddled with a decidedly more distinct disadvantage.
Of the 21 players currently listed as inactive for the Browns, 18 of them are on the regular roster and just three are members of the practice squad. As it stands now, notable absences on the Cleveland offense include wide receiver Jarvis Landry and tight end Austin Hooper due to virus protocol, while running back Kareem Hunt is likely to miss the game with an ankle injury.
Browns not Ruling out Possible Return of Several Players by Saturday
Getty ImagesHead coach Kevin Stefanski, of the Cleveland Browns.
There remain two scenarios in which Mullens would not get the starting nod. The first is if he comes down with the virus himself, which is a real possibility considering he’s been in relatively close contact with Keenum in the quarterback room over the last several days.
The second is that Mayfield and/or Keenum is capable of returning from the reserve list in time to play. The NFL enacted sudden rule changes on Thursday that have offered several of the Browns players hope of being reinstated based on alterations to testing requirements.
In a nutshell, players no longer have to pass two consecutive tests at least 24 hours apart, which had been the protocol for anyone who tested positive for the virus regardless of vaccination status or if the player in question was asymptomatic.
Now, the NFL will measure the viral load within a player who tests positive. If the readings are healthy enough, that player will be able to play even if he still shows up positive on an approved test.
“With the guys that we put on the list, constant dialogue with them to number one, see how they’re doing; and then number two, making sure that they’re locked in and staying ready and staying in the game plan,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said during a press conference Thursday. “We’ll just continue to follow the protocols minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour.”