Departed Vikings Coach Takes 2 Players With Him
The Vikings feared this year’s coaching cycle, especially because of one man: Brian Flores. He interviewed for three head coaching gigs, but the Vikings ultimately got to keep their defensive commander. On offense, however, the franchise lost a secret weapon, assistant OC and assistant QB coach Grant Udinski.
Departed Vikings Coach Takes 2 Players With Him
Udinski made a major jump. Despite not even having a position coaching title, the Jacksonville Jaguars around new head coach Liam Coen hired him as their new offensive coordinator.
The ex-Vikings coach started his tenure in Jacksonville by taking a pair of Vikings with him. Quarterback Nick Mullens joins him, as well as tight end Johnny Mundt.
Let’s start with Mullens. In the first offseason under the watch of Kevin O’Connell, Kirk Cousins was the entrenched starter, but the backup situation was shaky, with Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion battling it out.
When neither emerged as a decent option in the preseason, the Vikings made a move and traded for Raiders backup Nick Mullens. The signal-caller is a true gunslinger who can put up big yards and touchdown numbers, but the interceptions go hand-in-hand with that production.
Mullens was the reserve for the seemingly indestructible Cousins. In 2022, he attempted 25 passes, most of them in a meaningless Week 18 game. His big moments in purple came in 2023 following Cousins’ Achilles injury.
When Dobbs-mania flamed out, Mullens was asked to save the day, and he started three games. Of course, all three were lost, and his turnover numbers didn’t help the team, but his tendency to throw risky passes kept the offense explosive.
In 2024, Mullens attempted only two passes, both when Darnold was banged up and needed a play on the sidelines. The fascinating aspect? Mullens connected twice for 38 yards and two first downs.
He will now back up Trevor Lawrence while the Vikings hope to acquire an upgrade to pair with sophomore J.J. McCarthy. As the assistant QB coach, Udinski spent a ton of time with Mullens.
If he gets into the game, he might get to throw to tight end Mundt.
Mundt was one of the first signings of the O’Connell era. The two have known each other for years, previously winning a Super Bowl with the Rams.
He was never the top guy in the room, but he had some more opportunities in a few games when Irv Smith Jr. got hurt in 2022, and his playtime surely expanded after T.J. Hockenson’s injury in 2023.
In three years in purple, Mundt caught 55 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns. He is a reliable do-it-all tight end with some skills in the passing game and as a blocker. The Jaguars just parted ways with their tight end Evan Engram, so it’s impossible to predict Mundt’s role. He will likely take over as TE2 or TE3.
His departure means the Vikings need a new third tight end behind Hockenson and Josh Oliver.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt