By: Justin Gincauskas
In a must-win game against the Packers in Week 17, the Minnesota Vikings have decided to bench Nick Mullens. Instead, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Thursday that rookie quarterback Jaren Hall will get the start for Sunday’s game.
The move to put Mullens back on the bench comes after throwing four interceptions in a Vikings 30-24 defeat to the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve. Ball security has been a big concern for Minnesota recently, and that is what ultimately did it for O’Connell when deciding to turn to Hall.
“We have to maintain possession of the football,” O’Connell said. “The turnover margin has been well-talked about all season long, and I just felt like, at this time, giving Jaren a full week of preparation and a clear-cut mindset on the game plan [was best].”
Mullens took over for Joshua Dobbs after he was benched during Minnesota’s 3-0 victory over the Raiders on Dec. 10. Mullens started the next two games but was not good enough to keep the starting job. He threw six interceptions in those two starts, compared to just four touchdown passes.
Now stepping under center for the Vikings is Hall, who Minnesota drafted 164th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Hall played at BYU from 2018-22, appearing in 31 games. He finished his college career with 52 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
Hall will be making his second career start Sunday. His first start came earlier this season when he completed five of six passes for 78 yards against the Falcons before exiting the game with a concussion.
The Vikings are the eighth seed in the NFC. They currently have a 30% chance of making the playoffs, which jumps to 50% if they defeat Green Bay on Sunday. With a loss, Minnesota’s playoff odds tumble down to just 4%.
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