Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens was choked up at the press podium following a season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions.
Part of the carousel of backup quarterbacks tasked with carrying the team after losing Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles, Mullens was in the front seat for a rollercoaster season where the Vikings started 1-4 the strung together five consecutive to position themselves for a playoff chase down to the final week — ending with a 30-20 loss to Detroit on January 7.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of the season, Mullens was at a loss of words and breath at moments — epitomizing the weight of what his team has been through.
“It’s been a long ride up and down. I love the Vikings. I love the team. Your starter goes down, you’d love to come in and say, ‘Us quarterbacks led the team to the playoffs.’ That’s what we hoped for. Didn’t get it done— sorry,” Mullens said as he struggled to put together his words realizing the 2023 season had ended. “It sucks. But it was a fun season. You learn a lot, you go through a lot.”
Asked where the emotion was coming from, Mullens broke a smile.
I’m an emotional dude, probably,” he chuckled. “It just sucks. You want to do your best, but it just sucks. You just try to get the job done. We were very close this year, but very close is not good enough in this league.”
I don't care how many INTs Nick Mullens throws, I'll take him as my backup QB any day of the goddamn week. #Vikings pic.twitter.com/C69IY6BQBR
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 7, 2024
Nick Mullens’ Future With Vikings Uncertain
This season marked an important crossroads for Mullens and the Vikings after they traded for him to be the backup to Cousins during the 2022 preseason.
The new regime was unsatisfied with their stable of backups in Sean Mannion, Jake Browning and Kellen Mond that year, prompting the Vikings to trade the Las Vegas Raiders for a conditional seventh-round pick.
Mullens essentially won the job with his win over the Vikings in preseason, but being a backup for Cousins has largely been a posh gig. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback hadn’t missed a game to injury in his career until his Achilles injury on October 29 this year.
On a two-year contract, Mullens is the top quarterback under contract for next season, although there is a potential out with just $375,000 in dead cap sank if he is cut.
Vikings QB Nick Mullens Confident in His 2023 Performance
Mullens’ stretch as the Vikings’ starter was pivotal in determining his future with the team. He went 0-3 as a starter but proved to be more productive than Jaren Hall and Josh Dobbs. He also won a game in relief of Dobbs, leading a game-winning field-goal drive against the Raiders in Week 14.
In five games played, Mullens completed 100-of-148 pass attempts for 1306 yards for seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s proven he can be productive stepping in midgame as an emergency backup, but his future is still considered questionable moving forward.
” We were competing in every ball game. You just got to get the job done and control what you can control,” Mullens said. “As a QB, you want guys to want to play for you. Whether I did that or not, I guess I’ll let those guys answer, but it’s a great group.
“I’m proud of the stuff I did put on tape for the most part.”
