Philadelphia Eagles: 3 things to know about QB Nick Mullens
By David Esser
Following the somewhat surprising release of undrafted free agent Jamie Newman, the Philadelphia Eagles promptly made a corresponding move to fill out their quarterback room.
A player whom I actually highlighted as a potential option just a few days ago, the team officially announced on Monday morning that they had agreed to terms with Nick Mullens.
A 26 year old who’s spent the last three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, here’s everything you need to know about the Philadelphia Eagles QB3 (or QB2?).
3 things to know about the Philadelphia Eagles newest QB, Nick Mullens:
He should be healthy in time for training camp.
The biggest “con” to potentially signing Mullens (that I discussed in my story on free agent QBs earlier last week) was his health, or lack thereof. Mullens suffered an elbow injury in 2020, an injury that could have seen him miss the entirety of the 2021 campaign if it was something Tommy John related.
However, according to John McMullen of Sports Illustrated, the injury wasn’t as severe as initially expected, as he underwent a successful procedure back in January.
The issue with Nick Mullens was elbow surgery in January so he wasn't going to be available for spring work anywhere. Original fear was TJ surgery that would have kept him out of 2021 entirely. Ended up being a less-serious procedure and he should be ready for camp. #Eagles
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) June 14, 2021
Mullens obviously wasn’t around for OTAs, but he should be available for training camp and the following set of preseason games.
While teams typically reserve their backup QB positions for guys who have a history of staying on the field, it’s likely worth taking a chance on a younger guy in Mullens coming off an elbow procedure. The hope is that he won’t even have to see the field during the regular season, and can just focus on rehabbing his elbow further and learning the Eagles playbook/scheme.