Few actually believe Gardner Minshew will be the Jacksonville Jaguars’ opening-day starter at QB. Trevor Lawrence is the future, but he’s also almost certainly the present. And yet, the team’s QB1 competition will continue through at least the Jaguars’ Monday night preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.
Is the QB battle between Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew legitimate?
That’s simply the way first-year coach Urban Meyer wants to handle it. It’s a “nothing is given, everything is earned” college approach that might resonate with the league’s ninth-youngest roster desperate for a culture change.
But it’s also a bit performative. And as early as Tuesday morning, that performance could end.
Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Minshew have split first-team reps during Jacksonville’s training camp. They’re listed as co-starters on the team’s latest depth chart.
But soon, the exercise must end. And based on Meyer’s recent comments on the competition, it probably will end soon.
Could the competition run through the preseason finale (Sunday, Aug. 29, against the Dallas Cowboys)?
Meyer: “In theory it could, but I’d rather it not.”
Have you considered cutting off the competition and giving Lawrence all the first-team reps?
“If he wins it, which that hasn’t happened yet,” Meyer responded. “As soon as that happens, then you’ll give him the one reps, all one reps.”
Again, there’s something admirable about a new coach demonstrating to his team that there are no sacred cows, regardless of draft pedigree.
QB battle holding Lawrence back from first-team reps
Yet, at some point, Lawrence — who on Monday night is expected to get more than the 15 snaps he played in the Jags’ preseason opener — needs to get ready for the regular season. Late last week, he basically (albeit diplomatically) acknowledged that he needs more work to do that.
“I think we do a good job of managing it,” Lawrence said. “Obviously, as a young guy, you want as many as you can get just because every look that you get is something new you’re seeing and you can learn from. For me, I want as many as I can get. We’re at that point. We’ve been practicing for so long. It’s more about getting a lot more mental reps. You can’t go out there for three hours every day once the season starts. Guys have to take care of their bodies.”
“You have to be careful. I think we’ve had great prep up until this point. Great camp and for me, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve gotten a lot better, I think, just taking care of the ball, decision-making, knowing the offense. The more reps I can get, obviously the better. And obviously I’d like that.”
Lawrence later acknowledged that it’s been a bit difficult to get into a rhythm when he’s getting pulled for Minshew every few reps.
Lawrence competing, not given starting job in rookie season
Make no mistake — if Minshew plays a down in a competitive game for any reason other than injury in 2021, something has gone wrong.
He’s one of the NFL’s great personalities, plays the game with panache, and takes excellent care of the football.
But he’s also not Trevor Lawrence, at least from a scouting perspective.
For now, Lawrence isn’t rocking the boat. But that’s probably because he knows the competition will presumably be over in days, if not hours.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Lawrence said. “I think that’s the way to run a team, honestly. You’ve got to compete. Everyone’s job, the best player has to play. You have to compete. As a first-year player coming in, that’s kind of what’s expected.”
“You want to compete for the job. There’s a right way to do things. I think they’ve handled it great. We’re in a good spot. Got to keep working. I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get. That’s all I can really do.”
Adam Beasley is the NFL Insider for Pro Football Network. You can read all of Adam’s work here and give him a follow on Twitter @AdamHBeasley.
