Quarterback Nick Mullens showed no hard feelings this week as he dealt with being benched and told to serve as rookie Jaren Hall's primary backup in Sunday night's game against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Vikings QB Nick Mullens on benching: 'I totally understand'
Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens says he's been helping his replacement Jaren Hall, knowing that as a backup, "you're still only one snap away, so you have to have thick skin."
December 29, 2023 at 11:15PM
"I feel like I've tried to help Jaren throughout the entire year," Mullens said. "Anything I'm thinking or seeing or how the NFL works, I've been here to help any way I can. We've had a pretty good dialogue all year.
"I feel that hasn't changed this week. I told him, 'Jaren, it's your week. You're starting. Take advantage of it.' So I'm fired up for him."
Mullens threw for 714 yards in his two starts, but also was intercepted six times — twice in field goal range in the overtime loss at Cincinnati and four times while forking over the NFC North crown in last week's 30-24 home loss to Detroit.
"Obviously, I totally understand," Mullens said. "You can't turn the ball over and be productive. So that hurts. It hurts to think you let the team down.
"But, being the backup, you're still only one snap away, so you have to have thick skin and go right back to work and be ready to play.
"Whatever my role is, I'm going to embrace it and do it to the best of my ability."
Cousins wins Stringer Award
Quarterback Kirk Cousins won the Vikings' Korey Stringer Media Good Guy Award, named in honor of the beloved former Vikings offensive tackle who died of heatstroke during training camp in 2001.
Cousins is the first quarterback to win the award since Daunte Culpepper went back-to-back in 2003-04. Cousins turns 36 in August, is coming back from a torn right Achilles tendon in Week 8 and isn't signed for next season, but he's already got his sights set on winning three straight Stringer Awards to surpass Culpepper and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (2015-16) for most consecutive titles.
"I was told Captain Munnerlyn never saw a microphone he didn't like, so I'm going for the three-peat," Cousins said. "That's what my goal is, so I've got to be really, really available next year, and the year after that, I've got to be even more available."
Barr signed from practice squad
Linebacker Anthony Barr, who has played two games since rejoining the Vikings in November, was signed from the practice squad. The Vikings filled his spot on the practice squad by re-signing linebacker Nick Vigil.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
