49ers QB Nick Mullens Was So Unknown That Twitter Verified Him During His NFL Debut
Nick Mullens is back in action for the San Francisco 49ers at a much-needed time.
Mullens, the former undrafted quarterback who started in 2018, will start for an injury-plagued 49ers team in Week 3. Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an ankle injury in a Week 2 victory over the Jets.
And so begins Mullens Mania. At least this time, unlike when he debuted in 2018, San Francisco 49ers fans — and the NFL world at large — know who Mullens is.
Nick Mullens made his NFL debut in 2018
A former standout at Southern Miss — Brett Favre‘s alma mater — Nick Mullens joined the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted rookie in 2017.
Mullens spent the year on the 49ers’ practice squad but received a promotion to the 53-man roster in 2018, the same year Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL in September.
When Garropolo’s backup, C.J. Beathard, couldn’t go later that year, Mullens took the starting reins. Mullens went 3-5 in eight starts in 2018, completing 64.2% of his passes for 2,277 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
The return of Garropolo, though, meant Mullens was back to the bench last year. Mullens didn’t attempt a pass in either the regular season or playoffs.
Mullens was extremely unknown until he debuted
Considering Mullens went undrafted out of a Conference USA school, it shouldn’t have surprised many how unknown he really was.
Mullens took the NFL by storm for one night on Nov. 1, 2018, when he completed 72.7% of his passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 34-3 rout of the Oakland Raiders.
The win, which came on Thursday Night Football, let a national audience know who Mullens was and that, at least for the 2018 season, he was there to stay.
Just how unknown was Mullens before his NFL debut? Twitter actually verified Mullens during the game.
Nick Mullens is back in the starting lineup
Although Jimmy Garoppolo tried playing through an ankle injury in Week 2, the 49ers removed him from the starting lineup at halftime.
In came Mullens, who completed eight of 11 passes for 71 yards and an interception. Mullens will have an opportunity to throw his first touchdown in nearly two years against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants in Week 3.
San Francisco officially ruled Garoppolo out and named Mullens the starter.
Mullens completed 27 of 39 passes for 250 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in a 27-23 loss to the Giants on Nov. 12, 2018, in the former Southern Miss standout’s second career start.
The 49ers haven’t announced when Garoppolo is expected to return the starting lineup. If Garoppolo can’t go in Week 4, Mullens will face Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles at Levi’s Stadium.
Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.
