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How third-string QB Nick Mullens prepared to lead the 49ers in a first-rate debut vs. Raiders

Nick Mullens went to sleep Wednesday night knowing he would likely make his NFL debut the following evening against the Oakland Raiders.

What the little-known 49ers quarterback didn’t anticipate was receiving a congratulatory call from NFL legend Brett Favre, that he would find 600 text messages on his phone afterward, or that he would answer questions from reporters postgame about listening to crowd noise from Apple Music while practicing play calls.

“I slept good, except I woke up about every hour,” Mullens said. “But those hours were great.”

Mullens likely had an even harder time dozing when he hit the pillow on Thursday, knowing he had one of the more impressive quarterback debuts in NFL history in the final iteration of the “Battle of the Bay.