Nick Mullens or Daniel Jones: Who will be Vikings' backup QB in playoffs?

Jones has been in Minnesota for six weeks now. Has he surpassed Mullens?

Minnesota Vikings backup quarterbacks Nick Mullens, Daniel Jones, and Brett Rypien at a December practice / Images Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

It's now been six weeks since the Vikings added former Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones to their practice squad. Earlier this week, he was signed to the active roster, a move the team had to make so he'd be eligible to factor into the compensatory pick formula if he leaves in free agency. But as the Vikings prepare to open the postseason against the Rams on Monday night, it's also worth pondering if it'll be Jones — not Nick Mullens — backing up Sam Darnold the rest of the way.

Asked about that dynamic on Thursday, head coach Kevin O'Connell gave a non-answer.

"He definitely has progressed," O'Connell said of Jones. "He's gotten a lot of really good work in, both running scout team looks and then just extra work here and there, when we can. ... The best way I can put it is we're doing everything we can to get Sam ready to go, but at the same time, whether it's Nick or Daniel or Brett (Rypien), all those guys are absorbing the game plan like always. It's such a fluid thing here for the rest of the way. We're gonna do whatever we think gives us the best chance to win."

So is there a chance Jones could be the No. 2 quarterback on Monday night?

"We're gonna do whatever gives us the best chance to win here the rest of the way," O'Connell repeated with a smirk.

Jones was the sixth overall pick in 2019. He started 71 games over the past six seasons in New York. He's big, he's athletic, and he's plenty experienced, including two playoff starts. To be clear, he wasn't particularly good for the Giants outside of a strong 2022 season, but he's had his moments. The case for him supplanting Mullens as the Vikings' backup is about dual-threat ability and upside.

The case for Mullens remaining in the role is that he's been around a lot longer. Jones has been learning Kevin O'Connell's offense for six weeks; Mullens has been in the system since August 2022. He's a former UDFA who has 20 career starts in the NFL and just four since 2021, but he knows the offense well and is 2 for 2 on throws to Aaron Jones in spot duty this season. Mullens famously averaged 370 passing yards per game in three starts late last season, throwing six touchdowns and a whopping eight interceptions in a trio of losses.

It'll be interesting to see if both are fully active on Monday night, if Jones simply takes Rypien's usual spot as the emergency No. 3 quarterback, or if Mullens is bumped down to that role.

Rypien — who has four career starts of his own and joined the Vikings as their QB3 in August — was re-signed to the practice squad on Thursday after being waived to make room for Jones on the 53-man roster two days earlier. He's now QB4.

"I was really happy to get Brett back," O'Connell said. "He's somebody that I think's done a phenomenal job all season long and has a really bright future, so we were really fired up to get him back."

Between the quartet of veterans and injured rookie J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings have had an unusually full quarterback room since adding Jones in late November.

In all likelihood, Darnold is the only one that will matter during what they hope is a lengthy playoff run, but the backup is always one snap away from being needed in a big moment.

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