Vikings' Nick Mullens: Now backing up Darnold, not Cousins

Mullens looks set to work as the top backup in 2024 to Sam Darnold, who agreed to a one-year deal with Minnesota on Monday, Christian Gonzales of NFL.com reports.

With Kirk Cousins (Achilles) moving on to the Falcons, Mullens and 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall are currently the Vikings' only options at quarterback behind Darnold, though the team could further bolster the position in free agency or through the 2024 NFL Draft. Now heading into the final year of his contact and having spent the last two seasons as a backup for Minnesota, Mullens could be cut with the Vikings taking on only $375,000 in dead money, but the team may see value in a veteran quarterback who's already familiar with the present offensive scheme.