It was a disappointing year for the Minnesota Vikings last season, missing out on the playoffs despite an extremely talented roster on paper. They will look to bounce back in the 2022-23 NFL season, and they made a decision on Monday to sure up their quarterback depth moving forward.
The Vikings have agreed to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire veteran quarterback Nick Mullens, with a conditional seventh-round pick going to the Raiders if Mullens is on the active roster for at least one game in Minnesota next season.
🚨 QB TRADE ALERT 🚨
The #Vikings have acquired @NickMullens in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 22, 2022
The conditions of the 7th rounder: Mullens must be active for one game in 2022. https://t.co/I1xOPEwrgq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2022
Las Vegas had previously signed Mullens back in April, but he will now be heading to Minnesota where he will likely be the primary backup to quarterback Kirk Cousins next season.
The Vikings currently have Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond as their backup quarterbacks on the roster, but Mullens clearly has far more NFL experience than either of those two.
As a starting quarterback in the NFL, Mullens only holds a 5-12 record in four years of action with 26 touchdowns and 22 interceptions over a four-year career.
Las Vegas on the other hand seems to feel comfortable with Jarett Stidham as their backup quarterback after making this move.
While the Vikings obviously plan to have Cousins available for the entirety of the season next year, Mullens will help make the organization feel comfortable with a steady hand as their backup quarterback if something were to happen to Cousins next season.