Jacksonville Jaguars: Is there a bigger role for the backup QB?

By David Levin | May 31, 2020

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Mike Glennon #7 of the Oakland Raiders during their NFL preseason game at RingCentral Coliseum on August 10, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /

Will backup quarterback Mike Glennon be able to serve as a mentor to Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars offense?

Everyone in town knows that Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew’s job is safe. While the team signed Mike Glennon to serve as his back up, or compete with Joshua Dobbs for the second chair in the quarterback room, Minshew is the man who will lead this team on the field the first week of the NFL season and beyond.

The question is will Glennon, who has been a journeyman quarterback who has played in 29 games during his career in the NFL, play the role of a mentor while the second-year star continues to get his feet wet?

It used to be that the most popular guy on an NFL roster was the one carrying a clipboard. Fans had a love affair with jeering quarterbacks who weren’t successful. The Miami Dolphins were famous for this as Don Strock was the second in charge while David Woodley tried to will his team to more than one Super Bowl appearance. And if anybody watched the 1981 AFC divisional playoff game in Miami, the back up nearly pulled off the most incredible comeback in NFL history.

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At least at that time.

Head coach Doug Marrone said after the signing was announced that he felt comfortable with Glennon being on the roster, providing the team with security at the position. By no means did he say he thought the former N.C. State third-round draft pick could come in and will this team to a playoff run if need be.

"“Having studied Mike quite a bit when he was coming out of N.C. State, and having a good background with him, I really feel he’s going to help out football team in a lot of different ways,” Marrone said.“I’m happy with that. I wasn’t trying to hide anything. I was trying to make sure that if we didn’t do something early in the draft that we were going to get some of veteran presence in there.”"

Glennon must take his new assignment and use it to the best of his ability and use it as a tool to help Minshew learn in his second year of education.

It’s a much easier pill to swallow them to have Nick Foles, who signed the exorbitant contract, take a backseat, and a big gulp, and understand his role as a teacher instead of a starter. There is no pressure for either player, especially since they both know what rules they will fill the season.

And if the situation should arise, because of injury or under-performance, then hopefully Glennon can step in and do his part.

This is Jacksonville, which means fans will be all over Minshew if he fails at leading this team to success. It might not be Glennon who they want if there is a breakdown at the position, but it is the player they will get unless something else is done.

The Jaguars are still in a holding pattern, waiting to get back onto the practice field. For now, the quarterback room is learning the new installation of the offense that coordinator Jay Gruden is assembling. It will be interesting to see how all the quarterbacks in the room adjust to the changes. But the Jacksonville Jaguars have a starter who knows his role and three other signal-callers who are fighting to be the one called upon when needed.

For Glennon, this is nothing new, which should make his transition if needed a lot easier for the Jacksonville Jaguars roster and the coaching staff.

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