As a member of the Cleveland Browns during the 2021 season, quarterback Nick Mullens saw action in one game. It came in Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders, who apparently liked what they saw from the opposing quarterback.
On Friday, Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network reported that the Raiders and Mullens agreed to terms.
The #Raiders have agreed to terms with QB Nick Mullens, source says. Right now, it's him and Garrett Gilbert behind Derek Carr, so a good shot for him to land a backup gig.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 1, 2022
During that one game in 2021, Mullens was 20-for-30 with 147 passing yards, one tourchdown and no interceptions. The one touchdown came late in the game to put the Browns ahead, though Las Vegas would come back to win.
The Raiders have a decent amount of history with Mullens. As a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, he made his first NFL start against the Raiders. Subbing for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Mullens had a huge game. He went 16-for-22 for 262 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a San Francisco win.
While he’s performed well against the Raiders, the rest of Mullens’ career has been bumpier. In 20 games (17 starts), he’s completed 64.6% of his passes for 4,861 yards with 26 touchdowns, 22 interceptions and an 87.3 passer rating.
If history is any indicator, Mullens won’t see too much regular season action while backing up Derek Carr. Carr hasn’t missed a game over the last four seasons and has only missed two regular season games (plus one playoff game) throughout his career.
It’s been a busy offseason for the Raiders. And while signing Mullens doesn’t have the same “wow factor” as some other moves Las Vegas has made, it is important. While Carr has generally been durable, depth at quarterback is always a must. And if Carr does miss any time in 2022, Mullens will provide some stability under center.
