The Jaguars unenviable backup quarterback situation

What if Jaguars starting quarterback Nick Foles is lost for any length of time this season? Will the team move forward with their backup in place?

Gardner Minshew has all but wrapped up the Jacksonville Jaguars backup quarterback spot on the roster. The only question the coaching staff must decide on is whether the team will carry three signal callers on the active roster, or will it be a two-man show with Nick Foles walking out on the field against the Kansas City Chiefs in 13 days.

Having signed Foles was one of the biggest storylines of the NFL offseason and the Jaguars quest to change the position as plenty of chess pieces from the 2017 team remain. Having Foles in black and teal does not guarantee a march to the playoffs, but given the state of affairs in the AFC South and the changes made by teams this offseason in recent days, it looks a bit better for the Jaguars.

We can all hold our collective breaths on that one for now.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com recently wrote a piece about the least envious quarterback situations in the league. Jacksonville was part of his research. Not because of the signing of Foles, which I still believe is worth three more wins for the team alone, but what’s behind him and the chances of Foles splaying injury-free this season without a true safety net.

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"“There isn’t any reason right now to believe Foles won’t fulfill his promise as a franchise-stabilizer for a team that otherwise has pieces to compete, especially on defense,” Brandt, one of the most highly respected minds in the game wrote.“However, the fact remains that the MVP of Super Bowl LII hasn’t completed a 16-game season as a starter in his seven NFL seasons, and he’s started just nine games over the past three seasons. So, there is an undeniable element of unpredictability at play here.”"

Expecting the Jaguars to continue along the same path without Foles in the lineup, should he get injured, isn’t realistic given the lack of production and experience of the men standing behind him on the sideline.

Minshew is firmly entrenched as the backup, having played in all three games this preseason and showed a toughness the team likes. The sixth-round pick out of Washington State has yet to throw a touchdown and there is still a belief by this writer that he is could be a solid NFL career as a backup in a Koy Detmer type of role.

That might be it. He is unpolished but his football smarts and ability to read defenses gives him a chance to do some interesting things if called upon, Realistically, if Foles were to go down this season, the Jaguars chances of a playoff appearance go down the drain as well.

Brandt agrees the team is taking a gamble here.

"“The troubling thing is the lack of a solid, dependable Plan B if the Foles gambit doesn’t work out, given that neither Minshew (a sixth-round pick this year) nor McGough (a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks last year) has attempted a single meaningful pass in the NFL, and neither has inspired a ton of hope in their preseason appearances (Minshew has averaged 5.8 yards per pass, while McGough has completed just 5 of 17 throws so far).”"

Nothing that blows your mind. Alex McGough has scored an NFL touchdown this preseason and is a good athlete. He could make the roster if the Jaguars believe they can afford to leave on skill position player of the 53-man list.

It’s doubtful the Jaguars will bring in a veteran quarterback after the preseason to fill the backup role. It also is safe to say the team will move forward with Minshew and possibly McGough and hold their breath and hope nothing happens to Foles this coming season.