With Case Keenum testing positive for COVID-19, Nick Mullens is expected to be the Browns’ starting quarterback on Saturday.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Cleveland Browns quarterback Case Keenum has tested positive for COVID-19.
Now Browns’ QB Case Keenum has tested positive for COVID, leaving QB Nick Mullens in line to start Saturday vs. the Raiders, sources tell @ByKimberleyA, @FieldYates and me. Baker Mayfield already has tested positive and is on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2021
Unfortunately, many players on the Browns have tested positive over the past few days, and the organization had 18 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, prior to Keenum’s positive test.
The Browns are still scheduled to play on Saturday, as they will be matched up against the Las Vegas Raiders. With Keenum and Baker Mayfield out, Nick Mullens is now expected to be Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
Case Keenum tests positive for COVID-19: Who is Nick Mullens?
The San Francisco 49ers signed Mullens as an undrafted free agent in May 2017. Eventually, Mullens made his NFL debut on Nov. 1, 2018, completing 16 out of 22 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-3 victory over the Raiders, coincidentally.
With Jimmy Garroppolo recovering from a torn ACL, Mullens went on to start eight total games for the 49ers during the 2018 season. He threw for 2,277 yards, 13 touchdowns, and ten interceptions, and he had a 3-5 record as a starter.
Mullens started eight games for the 49ers in 2020, while Garoppolo struggled with injuries, once again. Mullens threw for 2,437 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 total appearances.
However, the 49ers went a discouraging 2-6 with Mullens as the starting quarterback.
Following the season, Mullens signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he was waived only a couple of months later. In September, he was signed to the Browns’ practice squad.
For a team’s third quarterback option, Mullens is actually pretty good, and he has proven himself to be able to lead a team to victory in the past.
Mullens is not known for his arm strength, but he is not afraid to make big plays. In 2018, he averaged 8.3 yards per pass attempt, which was fifth among NFL quarterbacks (minimum 100 pass attempts).
He will face a tough test on Saturday, as the Browns will be missing several key offensive starters including Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and Jedrick Wills Jr.
