Vikings News: Nick Mullens, Duke Shelley, Danielle Hunter, Andrew DePaola

What are some of the most notable Minnesota Vikings news headlines as the team prepares for their Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions?

With there only being a few days until the team's 2023 regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions, there are plenty of Minnesota Vikings news headlines to discuss.

Some of the most intriguing recent news features Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens, Minnesota pass rusher Danielle Hunter, and former Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley.

So, before Kevin O'Connell makes another change at quarterback, let's get into all of the latest Vikings-related news.

Kevin O'Connell picks Nick Mullens to be the Minnesota Vikings starting QB for Week 18

It's hard to blame O'Connell for benching Nick Mullens after the quarterback's four-interception performance in a Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions.

At the same time, it was made very obvious during the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday that rookie Jaren Hall was nowhere close to being a suitable replacement for Mullens as Minnesota's starting quarterback.

So, after making a decision last week that now looks like it was based solely on a reaction to Week 16, O'Connell has sent Hall back to the bench, and the head coach revealed on Wednesday that Mullens will be the Vikings' starter under center once again for the team's regular-season finale on Sunday against the Lions.

Mullens was re-inserted as Minnesota's starter at the start of the second half last weekend, and immediately, the veteran backup signal-caller came in and led the Vikings' offense on a 10-play, 48-yard drive.

Now, Minnesota didn't score any points on the drive, but there was a clear difference in the offense's ability to move the ball with Mullens under center compared to when Hall was out there in the first half.

Two drives later, the veteran quarterback tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt, and then during Minnesota's final offensive drive of the matchup, Mullens helped lead the offense on a 13-play, 67-yard drive that ended after a failed fourth-down attempt on the Green Bay 10-yard line.

With how much better the Vikings' offense was able to move the ball up and down the field against the Packers with Mullens under center, one has to wonder how much differently the game would have turned out if O'Connell stuck with his veteran backup as the team's starter instead of giving Hall a shot.

Minnesota probably would have had more of a fighting chance with Mullens as their starter for the whole contest, but with how poorly their defense performed in the matchup, Green Bay likely would have still left U.S. Bank Stadium with a victory.