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49ers’ QB Nick Mullens to start Week 3 vs. New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers QB Nick Mullens will start in Week 3

The San Francisco 49ers will start backup quarterback Nick Mullens for their Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants, amid a myriad of injuries on both sides of the ball.

During their Week 2 win against the New York Jets, the 49ers lost several starters on offense and defense to significant injuries. Among them, starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an ankle sprain and was expected to miss at least one game.

San Francisco 49ers to start QB Nick Mullens in Week 3

During an interview on Friday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Mullens will be under center when the offense takes the field Sunday against the Giants.

San Francisco received multiple trade offers from rival NFL teams this offseason for Mullens, adding to the interest the league showed in the signal-caller during the 2019 season. Fortunately, the 49ers turned down every inquiry they received and will have a dependable quarterback running their offense in Week 3.

If Mullens were to suffer an injury on Sunday, with the team playing on the same field where multiple players went down, third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard would take over. Beathard is one of the best No. 3 quarterbacks in the NFL and is very familiar with Shanahan’s offense.

Nick Mullens stats and experience as starter

This won’t be the first time the 49ers have counted on Mullens as their starter. When Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL early during the 2018 season, San Francisco turned to the 2017 undrafted free agent.

Mullens made eight starts in 2018, showing flashes of potential in his first season on the field. He completed 64.2% of his attempts with 2,277 passing yards, a 13-10 TD-INT ratio and posted a 90.8 quarterback rating. He has seen very little action since that season, with Garoppolo staying healthy in 2019.

Year:Pass Yards:Pass TDs:INTs:YPA:Completion %
20182,27713108.364.2
202071016.572.7

For now, Mullens is only expected to start in Week 3 with the team hopeful Garoppolo may return in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

49ers injury report: San Francisco to be without multiple starters in Week 3

49ers depth chart after key injuries

Unfortunately, Garoppolo won’t be the only prominent member of the 49ers’ offense missing in Week 3. He’ll be joined on the inactive list by running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman, who both suffered knee injuries last Sunday.

Additionally, All-Pro tight end George Kittle is in jeopardy of missing his second consecutive game. On top of that, star wide receiver Deebo Samuel remains on injured reserve.

With Garoppolo, Coleman and Mostert sidelined, the 49ers’ backfield will look very different in Week 3. Despite the injuries, they are among the betting favorites to win this week.

  • QB: Nick Mullens
  • RB: Jerick McKinnon/Jeff Wilson, Jr.
  • WR: Brandon Aiyuk/Kendrick Bourne/Mohamed Sanu/Dante Pettis
  • TE: George Kittle*/Jordan Reed/Ross Dwelley

San Francisco is also dealing with a plethora of injuries on the defensive side, too. Richard Sherman is on injured reserve, while defensive linemen Nick Bosa is lost for the season after tearing his ACL.

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