Nick Mullens is back in Jacksonville Jaguars practice, but that does not settle his role behind Trevor Lawrence. The available reporting points to a narrower decision: whether Mullens is healthy enough to receive meaningful second-team work, or whether the Jaguars should use the next preseason game to evaluate Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar instead.
FOX Sports’ player page, citing News4JAX and ESPN.com reports, describes a changing status. One update said Mullens was a full participant in a Tuesday practice and took part in 11-on-11 drills. A separate update said coach Liam Coen had indicated Mullens was unlikely to return to practice that week, creating uncertainty ahead of Jacksonville’s second preseason game against Carolina.
The evidence does not identify the nature of Mullens’ issue. That limitation matters because a practice return can show availability for a session without proving that a player is ready for a larger game workload. It also does not confirm whether Mullens will play Friday, how many snaps he could receive or whether Jacksonville has made a final decision about its backup quarterback.
Why the preseason reps matter
Mullens’ immediate value is tied less to a headline depth-chart label than to the amount of usable evaluation time he receives. FOX Sports reported that he completed 3 of 7 passes for 33 yards and threw an interception in the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints. Those figures describe one exhibition performance, not a complete assessment of his ability or his standing with the team.
If Lawrence plays the planned portion of Jacksonville’s game against Carolina, the remaining quarterback snaps become a direct comparison opportunity. Mullens could use them to demonstrate that he can operate the offense as the veteran option. Bradley and Aguilar could gain more exposure if Mullens remains limited or if the coaching staff wants a wider look at the younger alternatives. The supplied report specifically identifies both players as candidates for increased second-team reps.
For fans trying to interpret the situation, the practical question is not whether Mullens participated in one practice. It is whether he receives game action and whether the Jaguars place him ahead of Bradley and Aguilar in the next meaningful evaluation.
The cost of reading too much into one update
There are two competing risks for Jacksonville. Limiting Mullens because of an undisclosed issue could leave the team with less information about its veteran depth option before the regular season. Giving him a larger workload before his status is clear could reduce opportunities to evaluate Bradley or Aguilar. The evidence does not show how the Jaguars are weighing those concerns.
That uncertainty also limits what outside observers can conclude about Mullens’ job security. The FOX Sports material says the coach might choose to give Bradley or Aguilar most of the second-team snaps after the opener, but it does not report a final decision. It would be premature to treat the possibility of fewer reps as a release, demotion or definitive loss of the backup role.
Contract information is similarly unresolved in the supplied material. Spotrac provides a page for Mullens’ contract, salary and cap-hit information, but the evidence extract does not include a current figure or contract terms. That means readers can identify the financial record as a place to verify the issue, but cannot responsibly infer how expensive it would be for Jacksonville to retain, replace or reduce Mullens’ role.
What the next game can clarify
The clearest signal will be the quarterback rotation against Carolina. A substantial appearance by Mullens would indicate that Jacksonville still wants an immediate evaluation of him as the primary veteran reserve. A heavier workload for Bradley or Aguilar would show that the coaching staff is using the preseason to test alternatives while Mullens’ status remains unsettled.
An official Vikings video from December 2023 provides older context: Mullens discussed the value of starting and playing well during his time in Minnesota. That statement helps establish that he has previously spoken publicly about competing for playing opportunities, but it does not verify his current Jaguars role or health.
The responsible reader takeaway is therefore conditional. Mullens is active enough to have returned to practice, yet the backup decision is still open. Watch the next snap distribution and any direct team update about his undisclosed issue; those will provide stronger evidence than either his roster listing or a single preseason stat line.
Nick Mullens’ Jacksonville situation is best understood as an evaluation problem, not a settled depth-chart announcement. His return to practice keeps him in the Jaguars’ quarterback picture, but the team still has to decide how much preseason work to give him after an uneven opener and an undisclosed issue. That creates a trade-off: prioritize veteran readiness or use the next game to expand the evaluation of Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar. The Carolina game’s snap distribution, followed by any official health update, should provide more reliable evidence than speculation about his roster status or finances.
Sources and methodology
- Nick Mullens - NFL News, Rumors, & Updates | FOX Sports - https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/nick-mullens-player
- Nick Mullens Contract, Salary & Cap Hit 2026 | Spotrac - https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/earnings/_/id/22371/nick-mullens
- Mullens: It's Not Cool To Start, It's Cool To Start and Play Well So That's ... - https://www.vikings.com/video/mullens-it-s-not-cool-to-start-it-s-cool-to-start-and-play-well-so-that-s-the-go
- Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly add Nick Mullens as Trevor Lawrence ... - https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/nfl/jaguars/2025/03/10/nfl-free-agency-jacksonville-jaguars-nick-mullens/82226733007
