49ers reportedly rejected multiple trade offers for Nick Mullens

The San Francisco 49ers reportedly rejected multiple trade offers in recent weeks from other NFL teams regarding backup quarterback Nick Mullens.

The San Francisco 49ers are evidently very high on their backup quarterback, Nick Mullens. That much seems clear after reports have emerged indicating the team is essentially refusing to trade him.

The Athletic’s Mike Lombardi said on a recent podcast that the 49ers’ backup had multiple offers on the table over the past few weeks. But the 49ers decided to decline all offers and keep him on the roster instead.

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Mullens is regarded as one of the more promising young backup quarterbacks in the NFL and it makes sense that other teams would have interested after his impressive showing back in 2018.

The undrafted free agent would take over for C.J. Beathard and start eight games as a rookie, tossing 13 touchdowns as compared to 10 interceptions while also throwing for almost 2,300 yards.

San Francisco won just four games in 2018. Mullens won three of them and accounted for just five of the team’s 12 losses. During that stretch, it became clear that the now-25-year-old was a possible future starter at the position.

But with Jimmy Garoppolo returning from injury the following season, his time at the top of the depth chart was short-lived. Fortunately, Mullens only saw the field once in 2019 playing seven offensive snaps in one game.

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However, his standout rookie campaign still lingers in the minds of many teams around the league which is why it’s not hard to figure out why he had so many offers.

KNBR’s Jacob Hutchinson speculated that the 49ers wouldn’t give up Mullens for anything less than a fourth-round pick. It’s unclear what the team was offered, but it obviously wasn’t enough for them to pull the trigger.

Mullens is the 49ers’ exceptional insurance policy in case Garoppolo suffers any long-term injury again. They feel that they could very well still win a Super Bowl with Mullens under center.

And while that may seem like a stretch, they’re absolutely high on his long-term upside.

It certainly does seem as though the team will be holding on to Mullens for the time being. Beathard is a fine backup, but he doesn’t present the same type of starter potential that Mullens does.

For that reason, it’s difficult to see the 49ers parting ways with their coveted young signal-caller. It’s more likely he re-assumes his role as Garoppolo’s primary backup until he hits unrestricted free agency in a couple of seasons.

Mullens isn’t going anywhere any time soon. And despite him being one of the 49ers’ most valuable trade pieces, it just doesn’t seem like a deal will ever materialize.