Las Vegas Raiders fans woke up to some interesting NFL news today. General manager Dave Ziegler is sending quarterback Nick Mullens to the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero broke the news earlier this morning, sharing the development via Twitter. All training camp and preseason, Mullens was entrenched in the battle to be Derek Carr’s backup. Regrettably, Mullens just wasn’t doing enough to separate himself from the competition. Jarrett Stidham, a former New England Patriot and pupil of current head coach Josh McDaniels, has been rather impressive. Considering that the Raiders’ offensive line has been seeing its share of struggles, Stidham was still finding ways to make things happen. His more recent performance this past weekend against the Miami Dolphins probably sealed Mullens’ fate. Stidham impressed out of the gate, showing poise and awareness while leading the Raiders down the field.
NFL News: Nick Mullens will likely be Kirk Cousins’ backup, Raiders get a seventh-round pick
The fact is, Stidham was the front-runner all along, especially once Chase Garbers’ struggles became evident. The former Cal signal-caller has been largely unimpressive, and while Mullens does have NFL experience, Stidham has displayed a better grip on McDaniels’ system, and when things fall apart, he’ll use his legs. As for Mullens’ fate, he’ll be going to the Vikings, who got a close look at him when they took on the Raiders in the home preseason opener last week.
In terms of compensation, Ziegler and the Raiders will get a seventh-rounder in exchange for Mullens. Already proving to be resourceful in terms of drafting, no doubt the Raiders’ GM will find a way to flip this pick into someone or something productive. However, it should be noted that the pick will be in 2024, so keep that in mind as well. Raiders fans can rest easy, Carr has his backup now.
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*Top Photo: USA Today/The Raiders Wire
