Nick Mullens is the 49ers’ starting quarterback again, nearly two years after “Mullens Mania” enlivened a fan base desperate for a sign of hope.
Since then, Mullens has toiled in the superstar shadow of Jimmy Garoppolo, amid the franchise’s transition into Super Bowl contender.
It’s no secret what Mullens needed work on most to prepare for this coming scenario, when he starts Sunday in place of an injured Garoppolo and must lead a skeleton crew of 49ers (1-1) past the New York Giants (0-2) at MetLife Stadium.
“It starts with arm strength. That’s the thing everybody is going to criticize but that’s one thing I’ve attacked,” Mullens said Friday. “Playing with the full field, that’s huge to me, and I’m excited to show that on Sunday.”
If there was a visible flaw to Mullens’ 2018 NFL entry as a 3-5 starter, it was his velocity on passes toward the sideline boundaries. His right arm looks stronger, perhaps rivaling that of his grandfather, Ernie Tabor, who pitched professionally for the Phillies in the 1950s.
“He’s got a rocket for an arm. He’s slinging it,” tight end George Kittle said Thursday.
Kittle was Mullens’ prime target in 2018 en route to the most yards ever in a season by a tight end. Kittle won’t be there for Mullens this game, getting ruled out Friday and safely kept off MetLife Stadium’s field, on which four 49ers sustained knee injuries in Sunday’s 31-13 win over the Jets.
Garoppolo’s early ankle sprain last Sunday sprung Mullens off the bench after halftime, and Garoppolo’s inability to practice this week got him ruled out Friday along with Kittle, running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman, defensive end Dee Ford and linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Coach Kyle Shanahan vowed that it’s Garoppolo’s job again once healthy, and a three-game homestand starts next Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. “When Jimmy’s ready to go, he’ll be out there,” Shanahan said.
There is team-wide confidence in Mullens, partly because of how hard he’s worked to meet Shanahan’s demands, which Mullens described as being “automatic, crisp, professional.” It’s more than having something up his sleeve, so to speak.
Video: Kyle Shanahan on starting QB Nick Mullens. CLICK HERE if you’re viewing on a mobile device.
“It’s not all just about the arm,” Shanahan said of Mullens’ improvement. “It’s the rhythm within your dropbacks, the rhythm with where you’re going when you’re seeing things.
“When you can have your cleats under you and get your throw out on time, you’re going to get the most out of your arm. The more he is decisive, the more he knows where he’s going, the more he gets out of his arm.”
With offseason programs limited, especially this year, Mullens has worked with outside quarterback coaches, including Tom House in Southern California and David Morris in Mobile, Alabama.
“I’ve been training Nick for a long time, and I actually trained (the Giants’) Daniel Jones a long time, too. They train a lot together,” said Morris, a former Ole Miss quarterback who founded the QB Country training program.
“I think the world of Nick and couldn’t be more excited for him. He always plays clutch.”
Morris’ focus has been on “twitch and arm strength.” That means Mullins’ twitch with his feet and movement in the pocket before his release, and enhancing arm strength with exercises, plus the “sequencing” to create chemistry between his feet, hips, shoulders and release.
“It helps Nick get the most out of each throw,” Morris said. “He’s really worked hard, grown and improved each of the last four years.”
Once this offseason’s quarantine eased, Mullens emerged from his garage workouts to do strength training in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with Johnny Smith of Traction Sports Performance. “It was mainly to get his body fat down, bring his strength up some and overall give him a better quality of movement,” Smith said Friday.
Mullens’ mindset there was like it’s been since arriving with the 49ers in 2017, coming undrafted out of Southern Miss, where he surpassed Brett Favre’s records.
“Nick’s more of a head-down guy, gets work done and cracks a joke off here and there,” Smith said of Mullens’ humble and hard-working ways.
Mullens’ maturity goes beyond the field. Last year, he became a father, when his wife, Haleigh, gave birth to their son, Luke. On the same day, Aug. 30, Shanahan named Mullens the No. 2 quarterback ahead of C.J. Beathard, a role that wasn’t utilized in the ensuing games as Garoppolo rallied from knee reconstruction.
Mullens missed the 49ers’ opening-day roster his first two seasons and was practice-squad material until Garoppolo’s September 2018 knee injury.
Mullens’ first career loss came against the Giants on Nov. 12, 2018 at Levi’s Stadium. That loss came after a dazzling debut against the Raiders in prime time (three touchdown passes, 151.9 rating), and the 49ers’ only fell to the Giants once a Mullens comeback was countered by the Giants’ Eli Manning in the final minutes.
Mullens went 3-5 to close out that that 2018 season which saw Garoppolo go down with a Week 3 knee injury and C.J. Beathard post an 0-5 record. He completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,277 yards with 13 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 17 sacks in 2018.
Mullens was just 8 of 11 for 71 yards with an interception and two fumbles as he preserved last Sunday’s win. His counterpart this Sunday has as many career wins as him, that being second-year quarterback Daniel Jones (3-12).
Mullens won’t have Kittle, Mostert, Coleman or Deebo Samuel (expected to debut next Sunday night). But Mullens likes his available cast. He raved about running backs Jerick McKinnon, Jeff Wilson, and Jamycal Hasty, who likely will come up Saturday from the practice squad.
And when it comes to wide receivers, Mullens recalled this memory from the NFL debut of Brandon Aiyuk: “Coolest thing last week, when we finished, Aiyuk he said can’t wait to get back out there next Sunday. To see the energy behind those guys, it’s awesome”
