Photo: STEVE MARCUS
The Minnesota Vikings will reportedly start Nick Mullens at quarterback in Saturday's (December 16) game against the Cincinnati Bengals, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday (December 12).
Mullens, 28, who has made 17 starts in his six-year NFL career, will replace Joshua Dobbs and become the fourth quarterback to start for Minnesota this season following Kirk Cousins' season-ending Achilles injury.
"Since starting 1-4, the #Vikings have gone 6-2 with Kirk Cousins (3), Jaren Hall (1) and Joshua Dobbs (2) each starting in wins — and playing less than two quarters total with All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson. Now Nick Mullens gets his shot beginning Saturday," Pelissero wrote on his X account.
The Vikings later confirmed the decision on their X account.
"Nick Mullens will start Saturday in Cincinnati," the team wrote.
Mullens replaced Dobbs in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' then-scoreless game against the Las Vegas Raiders, leading the offense on a 13-play, 56-yard drive that resulted in a field goal to win 3-0. Dobbs threw for 63 yards on 10 of 23 passing, while Mullens finished with 83 yards on 9 of 13 passing.
Dobbs, who took over for Hall after the rookie suffered a concussion in his first and only NFL start, finished his previous start, a 12-11 'Monday Night Football' loss to the Chicago Bears on November 27) with 185 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions on 22 of 32 passing. Hall, who was slated to takeover in the absence of Cousins, was listed as an emergency No. 3 quarterback behind Nick Mullens weeks after his concussion.
Dobbs won two consecutive games, first in relief for Hall -- just four days after being acquired via trade -- and again in his first start for the Vikings before the team dropped two consecutive losses prior to Sunday's win.
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