Jaguars HC talks about his quarterback situation at the NFL Combine

By David Levin | Feb 26, 2020

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 22: A Jacksonville Jaguars helmet is seen during a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

Who will be the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020? Right now, the choice is up in the air.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are happy with their quarterback room, just don’t ask head coach Doug Marrone nor general manager David Caldwell to tip their hat at naming a starter for the 2020 NFL season.

Both Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles – in no particular order – will battle it out in camp and the preseason to determine who starts the season under center. Marrone and Caldwell both spoke to the media on Tuesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, taking the lead from owner Shad Khan about the situation the team faced under center in 2020.

"“We’re in a position where we feel we’ve got two guys who can play,” Marrone said via Jaguars.com senior writer John Oehser."

The front office should feel good about having two starters on the current roster but might also want to proceed with caution as Foles is a player potentially at a crossroads in his NFL career. As for Minshew, he will need to show improvement from his rookie campaign while still executing in the same manner he did last season that produced the team’s six wins.

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It’s an “issue” only if the Jaguars front office and the players allow it to be. The competition will be good, with each player making their own claim for the starring role. Whoever is under center in Week 1, consistency will be expected as the team looks to have a new offensive scheme under the new coordinator, Jay Gruden.

"“The best thing to do is have those guys go out there and have them compete,” Marrone said. “When one of them separates themselves, and there’s been enough body of work for it, then that person’s going to be the starting quarterback.“We’re trying to create that at all of the positions. Quarterback’s no different.”"

Minshew took the NFL by storm as a rookie sixth-round pick out of Washington State, as he filled in for Foles while he dealt with a broken collarbone. There is still plenty of growth the soon-to-be second-year player must make walking into the Jaguars OTAs and training camp later this season. Both Marrone and Caldwell were adamant about this being about the best player earning the right to start.

As a team, the Jaguars finished 16th in the NFL in passing offense in 2019.

When asked about the quarterbacks competing to start, Caldwell echoed that the front office is comfortable with the guys in the room. Either of them could lead the team on the field in 2020.

"“Both of those guys are in a situation that they both have proven in their own way that they can be a good quarterback in the NFL,” Caldwell said. “Nick obviously has a much larger body of work than Gardner does. But what Gardner did last year as a rookie I think is very impressive. He won six games and was .500 in the games he started … He had probably the best stats of any rookie quarterback last year.”"

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