Person of Interest: 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens

Undrafted free agent Nick Mullens started at QB for the 49ers and ended throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start as the 49ers crushed the Raiders 34-3 Thursday.

Emily Sadler November 2, 2018, 12:55 PM

From his perfect opening drive to his third touchdown pass on the night, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens lit up the football field in prime time with a historic NFL debut on Thursday night. In doing so, he had just about everyone asking the same question: Who is this guy?

The 23-year-old was activated from the practice squad following starter Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending injury and got the start after backup C.J. Beathard was ruled out with an injury of his own.

A rare ray of light in an otherwise dreary season in San Francisco, the undrafted kid out of Southern Miss gave 49ers faithful plenty to cheer for against the Oakland Raiders. What we thought would be a battle for the basement ended up being one of the best stories of the season so far as Mullens, who signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017, came out of nowhere to throw for 262 yards, three touchdowns, and record a near-perfect 151.9 passer rating in a huge 34-3 win at home.

Are we overreacting? That’s a given, yes, but what fun is being a sports fan if you can’t? We don’t know what’s ahead for Mullens, but his debut was certainly worth celebrating. So, with that in mind, here’s what you need to know about Mullens, including a little context for his unforgettable performance Thursday night.

Albert Breer on Twitter

So … what happens if Nick Mullens takes a struggling Niners team on an unlikely late-season tear?

Age: 23 (born March 21, 1995)
Hometown: Hoover, Alabama
College: Southern Mississipi (NCAA Division I)
Draft class: 2017 (undrafted)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210 pounds
Twitter handle: @NickMullens

He followed in Favre’s college football footsteps

One person who wasn’t surprised by Mullens’ performance? Legendary quarterback Brett Favre.

“Yeah, we know each other well — he broke all my records, how could I not remember him?” Favre said over the phone during a surprise on-air phonecall with Mullens during his post-game chat with the Thursday night broadcast crew. (It sounded like an emotional moment for the pair of Golden Eagles alumni.)

As a junior in 2015, Mullens set single-season school records for passing yards (4,476) and touchdown passes (38) and drove his team to tally more than 7,000 yards of offence for the first time in the program’s long history. He started all 14 games that season, and threw for at least 300 yards in 10 of them. He even registered a career-high 447 yards in a game against Nebraska, which was the second 400-plus yard game in his career and the fourth the school had ever seen. He left the school on a high note: a 15-game streak of scoring at least one touchdown pass and was named 2015 Conference USA Player of the Year.

“I’m not surprised in how he played one bit,” said Favre. “He did that at Southern Miss, he handled himself with tremendous class, a very bright football mind. All he needed, honestly, was an opportunity and he got it and he made the most of it. So I’m not surprised one bit.”

His NFL debut puts him in some pretty elite company

Favre isn’t the only NFL legend with whom Mullens has a few things in common. His performance puts him some pretty elite company as far as NFL debuts go:

• He is the first player in 49ers franchise history to throw three touchdown passes in his debut. Consider who that history includes: Y.A. Tittle, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jeff Garcia.

NFL Research on Twitter

Notable #49ers debuts as starter: Joe Montana * 36 pass yards, 0 pass TD Steve Young * 80 pass yards, 1 pass TD Nick Mullens * 262 pass yards, 3 pass TD We aren’t saying it’s a thing but…

• He is one of just two quarterbacks since 2000 (Marcus Mariota, 2015) to throw a touchdown pass in each of his club’s first two possessions in an NFL debut.

ProFootballReference on Twitter

Nick Mullens is the sixth QB since the merger to have 3+ TDs and 0 INTs in his career debut. Only one (Jim Kelly) also threw for more yards than Mullens’ 262

• His near-perfect passer rating of 151.9 was the best rating for a quarterback making his debut since the 1970 merger.

NFL Research on Twitter

Players with 250+ Pass Yards, 3+ Pass TD & 0 INT in their NFL debut since 1950: * Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton (1961) * Hall of Famer Jim Kelly (1986) * Nick Mullens (2018) @49ers @NickMullens #49ers

And, just for fun… his three touchdown passes on the night matches the season total of the entire Buffalo Bills team. (Sorry, Bills fans.)

He went from virtually unknown to verified (literally)

Leading up to his first NFL snap, this was the extent of Mullens’ NFL career:

He then proceeded to light up Twitter, even earning himself the much-coveted little blue checkmark in the middle of the game.

The Checkdown on Twitter

Operation #GetNickMullensVerified already SUCCEEDED The football world thanks you, @Twitter.

His Wikipedia page also got a bit of an update, because of course it did:

George Kittle might just be his his biggest fan

Mullens undoubtedly picked up a whole bunch of fans on Thursday, but none bigger than teammate George Kittle. The tight end found instant chemistry with his new quarterback, tallying four receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown, and did you see his insane defence-splitting, one-handed catch-and-run? Kittle was clearly having some fun after the game.