The Vikings’ starting quarterback against the Bengals in this crucial game will be Nick Mullens.
Coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that quarterback Nick Mullens would start the team’s next game against the Cincinnati Bengals. As the starting quarterback for the Vikings for the next seven games, Mullens, who was the team’s backup quarterback prior to this one, will take over. The team is still in a strong position to make the NFC wild-card playoffs despite the quarterback rotation.
In the fourth quarter of the team’s most recent 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Mullens, who had recovered from a back injury and was placed on injury reserve in Week 11, replaced Joshua Dobbs and led the team’s lone scoring drive. Mullens’s qualities and preparation were praised by Coach O’Connell, who also highlighted Mullens’s ability to carry out the game plan with few repetitions.
Jaren Hall and Joshua Dobbs will both be in uniform for Saturday’s game, though O’Connell has not yet decided who will replace Mullens. Mullens, who has made 17 NFL starts in his career, was formerly a member of the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns, where he started for both teams and had a 5-12 record.
When considering the quarterback situation, O’Connell emphasized the choice to start Mullens for the forthcoming game but also acknowledged Dobbs’ contributions, which helped the team win three games following Kirk Cousins’ injury. The Vikings, who are currently one game above.500, have high hopes for Mullens’ performance, particularly if he can get star receiver Justin Jefferson in Cincinnati. Jefferson only participated in a limited capacity in Tuesday’s practice. But right tackle Brian O’Neill and running back Alexander Mattison were not involved in practice due to ankle injury
