The Jacksonville Jaguars made a surprise addition ahead of cutdown day, trading a 2028 sixth-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The Jaguars already had three potential back-ups to Trevor Lawrence — Nick Mullens, Carter Bradley, and Joey Aguilar — and it was assumed throughout training camp that Mullens would continue in his role as QB2, despite turning in some shaky performances this summer. Instead, Ewers will be QB2, and Mullens was released from the active roster.
However, that doesn't mean his time in Jacksonville is necessarily finished. After roster cutdowns, Mullens was signed to the practice squad, and in a new interview, general manager James Gladstone said the team still values what Mullens brings.
"Nick's presence here, I mean, it means a ton," Gladstone said. "His familiarity with the system, it's like having another coach in the room and certainly being able to understand that he can operate our offense in the way that it's intended to is something that we don't want to just separate from. And so that was a real conversation, an authentic conversation that we had to have with Nick and appreciate very much just the way that he went about it and the professionalism that he showcased. And he's such a great teammate, such a great partner in this. And he's pouring right back in, starting out on our practice squad, and we'll see how it all unfolds here as we get into the season."
At just 23, Ewers is significantly younger than Mullens and provides more developmental upside behind Lawrence. Mullens, however, still has veteran experience to offer, as well as knowledge of the offensive scheme. He also is someone Gladstone feels can be trusted to perform if he is ever called upon.
For now, Mullens will continue working with the Jaguars from the practice squad, giving Jacksonville an experienced insurance option while Ewers settles into his new role.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: James Gladstone explains Jaguars’ decision to keep Nick Mullens
