Gardner Minshew gives Jacksonville Jaguars solid plan B at QB

Gardner Minshew may not start a game for the Jacksonville Jaguars any time soon but he’s shown he will be a valuable commodity in 2021. 

Trevor Lawrence is the quarterback of the future in Jacksonville. The Clemson product has had a productive training camp and he’s getting more comfortable with each passing day. He’s still getting acquainted with the position and working out the kinks. Nevertheless, it will be just a matter of time before the Jaguars’ brass officially named him the starter.

Although Gardner Minshew and Lawrence alternated with the first and second-team offense early in training camp, Lawrence has been only working with the ones in recent days. Make no mistake, there was no quarterback competition in Duval. It’s possible that the coaching staff just wanted to avoid putting too much on his plate.

Minshew could again get reps with the ones later in training camp but it seems like the Jaguars thinks Lawrence is ready to take on a bigger role and will benefit more from practicing with the first team. After all, Jacksonville didn’t draft the former Tiger to keep him on the bench, and the sooner he plays, the faster he will be able to make an impact.

Where does this leave Gardner Minshew?

Minshew is not the answer at quarterback, but he possesses starting experience and hasn’t stopped working hard even though Lawrence is set to be the starter. Not long ago, the 2019 sixth-round pick was named as one of the best backups in the NFL, and he could step on the field and play well if the Jaguars’ rookie passer had to miss time.

You might have read that the Indianapolis Colts could call the Jaguars about the former Cougar’s availability with Carson Wentz undergoing surgery. Jacksonville is better off keeping Minshew but if they traded him to Indy or any other team (there are no reports indicating they are interested in listening to offers or that they will), they should ask for an early pick or a top player. It doesn’t make much sense to deal a pretty valuable backup for a measly fifth or a sixth-round selection.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard was placed on the COVID-19 /Reserve list and if the regular season started tomorrow and Minshew weren’t on the roster, Jake Luton would be the Jaguars’ primary backup. That’s not a situation the Jaguars would like to find themselves in. On the other hand, having Minshew on the roster ensures the Jags that they will have a competent backup behind Lawrence.

You have probably heard that the backup quarterback is the second most important position on an NFL roster. Although it may be cliché, it’s true, and the Jacksonville Jaguars should feel comfortable knowing they have one of the best backup quarterback situations in the league. Also, Minshew is still young and he will most likely get his chance to compete somewhere else. For the time being, he’s an important piece in Jacksonville, even if he isn’t set to start.