The Jacksonville Jaguars released veteran quarterback Nick Mullens as part of roster cuts, terminating the remainder of his contract as the team trimmed its roster to 53 players.
The move came one day after Jacksonville acquired Quinn Ewers from the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Mullens, 31, signed with the Jaguars in March 2025 on a two-year deal that included $3 million guaranteed. He was brought in as a familiar backup for new offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, with whom he had worked in Minnesota, and as a veteran who could help install head coach Liam Coen’s scheme behind Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence stayed healthy in 2025, led Jacksonville to a 13-4 record and a division title, and limited Mullens to five appearances and three completed passes for 19 yards.
This summer, Mullens’ play was uneven. He finished the preseason 14-of-21 for 160 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Once Ewers was in the building, the veteran’s roster spot was effectively gone.
Jacksonville had also inquired about younger options such as Spencer Rattler before landing Ewers, a 2025 draft pick the club views as a higher-upside insurance policy.
Releasing Mullens saves about $1.2 million against the cap and leaves roughly $1.3 million to $1.45 million in dead money. Because of his service time, he is an unrestricted free agent rather than a waiver-wire player.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo noted that several teams still need backup quarterbacks and that Mullens could find work quickly.
An undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss in 2017, Mullens has appeared in 38 career games with 20 starts for San Francisco, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Jacksonville.
His most substantial recent starting stretch came with the Vikings in 2023, when he threw for 1,306 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions. That journeyman path is typical of NFL backup life: useful when a starter goes down, expendable when a team wants a different profile.
Jacksonville also waived rookie Joey Aguilar and placed Carter Bradley on injured reserve as part of the same cutdown. Ewers is now the primary backup to Lawrence as Coen’s second season begins. For Mullens, the Jaguars chapter ends after one year and almost no regular-season snaps.
For Jacksonville, the decision is a bet that youth and upside at No. 2 matter more than veteran familiarity heading into 2026.
