San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens (4) will start vs. the Giants. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Mullens to start at QB for 49ers vs. Giants

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 9/25/20

Nick Mullens is being called upon by the San Francisco 49ers to start Week 3 against the New York Giants following Jimmy Garoppolo's injury.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Mullens will get his first start of the season on Sunday as Garoppolo has been ruled out with a high ankle sprain.

Kyle just made it official with us: Nick Mullens to start on Sunday vs NYG. #49ers
— Brian Murphy (@knbrmurph) September 25, 2020

Last time Mullens started, there were little expectations for the 25-year-old as San Francisco was headed toward a 4-12 record in 2018. With the team's Super Bowl aspirations this season, Mullens will face more pressure this time around.

San Francisco cut Mullens twice before deciding to keep him on the roster. He was originally signed as an undrafted rookie out of Southern Mississippi.

Mullens was promoted from the practice squad in 2018 after Garoppolo suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee. To close out the 2018 campaign, Mullens averaged 285 yards passing per game. He finished that season with 2,277 yards passing and a 64.2 completion percentage, proving that he could be a reliable backup for Shanahan's offense.

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