After throwing six interceptions in two starts – both close losses – Nick Mullens could find himself back on the sidelines for the Minnesota Vikings’ Sunday night border battle against the Green Bay Packers.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Vikings are taking a long look at whether Mullens should be benched for rookie Jaren Hall,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported Tuesday morning.
Hall was Minnesota’s starter Nov. 5 Week 9 game in Atlanta and he drove Minnesota down the field on their second possession of the game only to suffer a concussion on a violent hit inside the 5-yard line. That led to Josh Dobbs taking over and starting the next five games.
After Dobbs’ magic ran out and turnovers piled up against the Broncos and Bears, head coach Kevin O’Connell pulled the plug on Dobbs in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s 3-0 win over Las Vegas in Week 14. Mullens has been the QB ever since, but he threw two costly interceptions in a loss to the Bengals and was intercepted four times in Sunday’s 30-24 loss to the Lions.
Hall hit on passes for 18, 47, 9 and 4 yards on the scoring drive before he suffered the concussion. He’s was in the concussion protocol for a couple of weeks and then used as Minnesota’s third string, emergency quarterback until O’Connell made him the backup to Mullens the past two games.
Hall was Minnesota’s fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Dec. 15 that the Vikings like his upside and they could turn to him if Mullens struggles.
“The Vikings want to bring Hall along slowly, but they like his upside and poise,” Fowler wrote. “…If Mullens cools down, Hall will be ready.”
Whoever starts at quarterback will be under immense pressure to lead the Vikings to victory in a must-win game against a division rival on national television. And they’ll have to operate at a high level without tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) and rookie receiver Jordan Addison (ankle), who were injured in the Christmas Eve loss to the Lions.
