Nick Mullens Will Start for 49ers vs. Giants After Jimmy Garoppolo Ankle Injury

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens will start Sunday's game against the New York Giants after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an ankle injury in Week 2, head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR on Friday.

Mullens—who is 3-5 in his career as a starter—went 8-of-11 for 71 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception last Sunday.

Injuries decimated San Francisco's roster in Week 2. Garoppolo suffered a high ankle sprain early in the team's Week 2 win over the New York Jets but continued to play through the first half before Mullens replaced him.

In the same game, Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas suffered season-ending knee injuries, Raheem Mostert sprained his MCL and Tevin Coleman injured his knee.

The 49ers lost Richard Sherman and George Kittle because of injuries in their Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel started the year on injured reserve with a foot injury he suffered during the offseason.

Garoppolo has established himself as an essential part of the 49ers' rise in the NFC. He tied for fourth in the NFL with a 69.1 completion percentage and tied for fifth with 27 touchdowns last year to help the franchise win the NFC West for the first time since 2012.

Shanahan will turn to Mullens to lead the offense until Garoppolo is able to return. Mullens showed promise in 2018 with 2,277 yards, 13 touchdowns and a 64.2 completion percentage in eight starts after Garoppolo tore his ACL.