Jarrett Stidham wins backup job in Vegas, as Raiders trade QB Nick Mullens to Vikings
BOSTON -- Nick Mullens signed with the Raiders in April. A month later, the team acquired Jarrett Stidham via trade. Now, Mullens is on his way out of town.
The Raiders traded the fifth-year quarterback to the Vikings on Monday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The Raiders are getting only a conditional seventh-round pick in return, making the deal as close to an out-and-out release as a trade can be.
The reason that Mullens was deemed expendable in Las Vegas is because Josh McDaniels clearly has been impressed with Stidham, a quarterback with whom he obviously had experience in New England.
Stidham has played well in the preseason thus far, completing 25 of his 40 passes (62.5 percent) for 244 yards and no interceptions. He hasn't thrown for a touchdown, but he has rushed for two scores, running for 28 yards on five carries.
Mullens has been good, too, completing 21 of his 29 passes (72.4 percent) for 205 yards and a touchdown. Mullens also has much more regular-season experience than Stidham, having started 17 games compared to Stidham's zero.
Yet with Derek Carr as the clear-cut starting QB, McDaniels has liked what he's seen out of Stidham to give him the spot as the backup.
Carr, Stidham and the Raiders finish up their training camp with a pair of joint practices and a preseason game against Stidham's old team -- the New England Patriots -- this week.
