© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
On a surface level, everything about Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens is different.
Garoppolo grew under Tom Brady, famously led the 49ers to five straight wins after being traded from the Patriots during the 2017 season, and signed a then-record-breaking contract for five years, $137.5 million weeks into the 2018 offseason. He’s the face of the 49ers franchise.
Mullens, conversely, was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2017 draft, served as the 49ers practice-squad quarterback his rookie year, got his chance to start when Garoppolo and backup C.J. Beathard got hurt in 2018, and surprised most when he outperformed Beathard in eight starts to close the season.
Despite their juxtaposing profiles, Garoppolo’s and Mullens’s numbers, in a nearly identical sample size, are staggeringly similar.
Nick Mullens vs. Jimmy Garoppolo since joining the 49ers: pic.twitter.com/6jgRN1lhjI
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 3, 2019
Mullens and Garoppolo, of course, have experienced different situations throughout their 49ers tenures.
Garoppolo had about two weeks of knowledge of the 49ers playbook when he was named the starter in Week 13 of the 2017 season. With obvious help and masterful play-calling from Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo elevated one of the NFL’s worst offenses into one of its best in the final five games of the season. The 49ers averaged 28.5 points and 410 yards per game during that stretch, as opposed to 17 points and 321 yards per game in the previous 11 games. Most importantly, the 49ers won five straight games after winning one in their first 10.
Less than one month after the season, Garoppolo was given the keys to the organization with a massive five-year deal. The thought was that, with a full offseason at his disposal, Garoppolo would return in 2018 as a much more prepared quarterback. But the results, though in a small sample size, were mixed.
Garoppolo completed 59.6 percent of his throws for five touchdowns and three interceptions in 11 quarters played in 2018. He threw three picks in the season opener — one stemmed from a miscommunication with receiver Kendrick Bourne — and threw another costly interception late in Week 2 that was fortunately called back due to a defensive holding penalty. In Week 3, the 49ers went down 28 points to the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half. It wasn’t until the second half that we saw prime Garoppolo consistently lead the 49ers downfield. Then, in the fourth quarter, his season ended when he awkwardly dug his knee into the turf, tearing his ACL. The 49ers went 1-2 under Garoppolo in 2018.
At that point, Mullens was unknown to most NFL fans. He was elevated to backup. Beathard, the team’s third-round pick in 2017, started the ensuing five games, all of which resulted in losses, two at the hands of the NFL-worst Arizona Cardinals. When Beathard hurt his wrist, the 49ers turned to Mullens, and he promptly led them to a 34-3 win over the Oakland Raiders in Week 9.
Mullens started and played well throughout the following seven games. His 2,277 passing yards are the fourth-most for any quarterback in his first eight games in NFL history. Mullens wasn’t perfect — he regressed the final two weeks against the playoff-bound Bears and Rams — but he exceeded expectations. The 49ers went 3-5 under Mullens this past season. (It’s worth noting Mullens probably worked with a better receiving corps than Garoppolo did in 2017, with Dante Pettis blossoming in the second half of the 2018 season.)
Considering the small sample size and numerous variables, it’s difficult to truly compare Garoppolo and Mullens. Most would agree Garoppolo’s arm talent is better than Mullens’. Until Garoppolo struggles over time, his status as the team’s top quarterback remains unchanged.
The numbers show the 49ers have a capable reserve in Mullens, though Kyle Shanahan recently said the backup competition between Mullens and Beathard is wide open.