Minnesota Vikings name rookie Jaren Hall starting QB for Sunday night

The Minnesota Vikings will have a different starting quarterback Sunday night when they host the division-rival Green Bay Packers in a game with huge playoff implications.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Thursday that rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall will get the start over Nick Mullens after the latter threw four interceptions in an ugly Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Things seemed to be trending in this direction with Mullens putting up a disaster class performance that allowed the Lions to clinch their first division title since 1993 and meant the Vikings elimination from division title contention.

A former star at BYU, Hall has seen limited action in two games this season (one start). He’s completed 8-of-10 passes for 101 yards in the process.

Related: Minnesota Vikings playoff odds heading into Week 17

Minnesota Vikings relying on Jaren Hall for late-season playoff push

Minnesota heads into Sunday’s game against Green Bay at 7-8 on the season and one game behind both the Los Angeles Rams as well as the Seattle Seahawks for one of the final two playoff spots in the NFC. It is also tied with Atlanta, Green Bay and New Orleans at 7-8.

The Vikings currently have less than 30% odds of making it to the playoffs after last week’s brutal loss to Detroit. It does hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Green Bay — something that could change with a loss Sunday night.

Minnesota boasts said tiebreakers over Atlanta and New Orleans due to a better divisional record.

To be clear. This is not a great position for the Vikings to be in. That’s especially true with star tight T.J. Hockenson sidelined to injury.

However, the idea of throwing Mullens out there again with the season on the line made no real sense. At the very least, O’Connell and Co. get to acquire a small sample size as it relates to Hall with Minnesota’s QB situation completely unsettled moving forward.