The Jaguars made a late change at quarterback ahead of cutdown day, sending a 2028 sixth-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins for Quinn Ewers and moving Nick Mullens off the active roster.
That move had the effect of reshaping Jacksonville’s backup picture behind Trevor Lawrence. Mullens, Carter Bradley, and Joey Aguilar were all in the mix during camp, and Mullens had been the expected QB2 even after a summer that included some uneven showings. Instead, Ewers stepped into that role, while Mullens was released.
Jacksonville didn’t let him get away entirely. After roster cutdowns, Mullens landed back with the team on the practice squad, and general manager James Gladstone made clear the organization still sees real value in keeping him around.
"Nick's presence here, I mean, it means a ton," Gladstone said. "His familiarity with the system, it's like having another coach in the room and certainly being able to understand that he can operate our offense in the way that it's intended to is something that we don't want to just separate from.
And so that was a real conversation, an authentic conversation that we had to have with Nick and appreciate very much just the way that he went about it and the professionalism that he showcased. And he's such a great teammate, such a great partner in this.
And he's pouring right back in, starting out on our practice squad, and we'll see how it all unfolds here as we get into the season."
At 23, Ewers gives the Jaguars a much younger option with more developmental upside behind Lawrence. Mullens brings the opposite kind of value: experience, command of the offense, and the kind of steadiness Gladstone believes can be trusted if he’s needed.
For now, Jacksonville gets both. Ewers is the backup on the active roster, while Mullens stays in the building on the practice squad as an experienced insurance piece while the season begins.
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