3 backup QBs the Jaguars can sign if CJ Beathard misses time

Quarterback is the most important position on the football field and his backup is the second most important. After all, the No. 2 signal-caller on the depth chart is always one injury away from taking snaps under center and teams that have a good one won’t panic in case the starter goes down. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson knows this first hand, having won Super Bowl 52 for the Philadelphia Eagles with backup Nick Foles at the helm after Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury.

The Jags have a starting quarterback in Trevor Lawrence but C.J. Beathard, their primary backup at the position, was carted off the field during practice Monday and it’s uncertain how long he will be out. Right now, Jake Luton and undrafted free agent E.J. Perry are the other quarterbacks on the roster, and if Beathard has to miss an extended period of time, the team’s brass might need to add another passer in the upcoming days.

The quarterback market isn’t particularly thrilling but here are three free agents the Jags could sign to bolster their depth at the position.

No. 3 free agent QB the Jaguars can sign – AJ McCarron

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted A.J. McCarron in 2014 with the intention of grooming him into a starting quarterback. However, the Alabama product never developed into more than a backup and has already suited up for four different clubs in his NFL career.

McCarron signed with the Atlanta Falcons to back up Matt Ryan last offseason after a two-year stint with the Houston Texans. But he suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the whole 2021 campaign and is currently unsigned.

Since 2014, McCarron has appeared in 17 games with four starts and has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,173 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. Those are some pretty unremarkable numbers but acceptable coming from a backup quarterback, which is the role the Jaguars would sign him for.