There's no doubt that Trevor Lawrence is the long-term answer behind center for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former Clemson Tiger faced a make-or-break season in 2025 but ended up having a banner year under Liam Coen. Next, he's expected to build off his success and take his game to the next level. However, the rest of the Jags' quarterback room may be a cause for concern.
Nick Mullens is the next man up, and Carter Bradley has made a strong impression in the offseason. Having said that, both of them struggled at mandatory minicamp. That's probably not great news for Jacksonville if Lawrence has to miss time next season.
Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley struggled on Day 2 of Jaguars minicamp
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated shared his notes from Day 2 of mandatory minicamp. He reported that the Jaguars backup quarterbacks left much to be desired, pointing out that they underthrew several passes.
"The Jaguars' quarterbacks (sans Trevor Lawrence) were routinely underthrowing the Jaguars' receivers on Wednesday, and it was hard not ot call it anything but a frustrating outing," Shipley wrote. "That is not to say Nick Mullens, Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar didn't make any positive plays." Mullens specifically had a nice touchdown to Austin Trammell on an extended play. But the Jaguars, like any team, look like they are in serious trouble if anything happens to Lawrence.
If Lawrence were to miss any time, Mullens would be the first in line to replace him. He signed with the Jags in 2025 and ended up going 3-of-3 for 19 yards when thrust into action.
A third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, Mullens is 5-15 as a starter. He spent three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings prior to landing in Jacksonville.
Just recently, Gilbert Manzano of Sports Illustrated ranked all 32 backup quarterbacks in the NFL and placed Mullens at No. 25. While he's not at the cellar, his spot isn't something to write home about either.
On the other hand, Carter Bradley is firmly entrenched as QB3 and has shown enough growth to make you think that he could replace Mullens next year, when he's slated to become a free agent. Still, he cannot afford to have more days like the second practice of mandatory camp if he wants to have a shot at becoming the primary backup behind center.
Undrafted rookie Joey Aguilar is also in the mix but has his work cut out for him. At this point, his best bet is to land in the practice squad and spend his rookie season honing his craft.
The Jaguars had better hope Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley improve
At this point of the offseason, it's hard to imagine the Jaguars adding a veteran quarterback. There aren't any enticing options left in the open market, and it doesn't seem like any quality signal-callers are available via trade. That means that Jacksonville will need Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley to step up.
It's also worth noting that both Mullens and Aguilar have made several plays throughout the offseason. This doesn't mean that you should outright disregard their underwhelming performance at minicamp, but it's not time to push the panic button just yet.
The truth is that the Jaguars appear to be confident in their current quarterback group, so don't expect any changes soon.
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