Entering the 2019 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars seemed set at quarterback after adding Nick Foles in the offseason. That was until sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew managed to make it a competition.
Now, Foles is in a training camp battle with the Chicago Bears for the starting quarterback job. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are rolling with Minshew as QB1 for the upcoming season–a decision not everyone in the NFL agrees with.
According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, an NFL defensive coach believes the Jaguars are ‘fooling themselves’ by sticking with Minshew as their starting quarterback in 2020.
“We played him and I don’t know why Jacksonville did not draft a quarterback,” a defensive coach said. “Minshew magic? They are fooling themselves. He can run around and do a little freaky stuff and make a play and make you say, ‘Ooo, ahh,’ but he is going to get you beat.”
It seems odd to question the Jaguars’ decision to stick with Minshew for at least the 2020 season. He displayed real potential completing 285-of-470 (60.6%) pass attempts for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in 14 appearances. He even added 344 rushing yards, too.
With the Jaguars in the early stages of a rebuilding process, there is a real chance they could land one of the top picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. The top two options stand out as being Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) and Justin Fields (Ohio State).
The worst case scenario is the Jaguars have an awful 2020 season and the team is in a position to take an intriguing quarterback prospect in the NFL Draft. Jacksonville could field a position battle in training camp next offseason and even choose to sit a rookie quarterback for a year. If they wanted to, of course.
NFL Analysis Network provides news updates and analysis about the Jacksonville Jaguars along with all 32 teams in the league. Find us on social media (Twitter & Facebook) to stay up to date with our content.