Jags’ Gardner Minshew says No. 2 role ‘is not an option’ for him in battle with Trevor Lawrence

While starting a new quarterback Week 1 feels like a certainty for the Jacksonville Jaguars, one thing fans can bank on is Gardner Minshew II putting up a fight to reclaim the QB1 spot that was once his. During organized team activities and minicamp, the third-year quarterback looked like the best signal-caller on the roster not named Trevor Lawrence, which could give him plenty of momentum for training camp.

While joining Chris Long as a guest on the “Greenlight Podcast,” Minshew seemed to think he’d be able to pick up where he left off this offseason. And though Lawrence was taken with the No. 1 overall pick, Minshew said not being a starter wasn’t an option for him heading into the 2021 season.

After watching Minshew for three years, fans of the Jags shouldn’t have expected him to say anything less. After all, this is the same player who tried to break his hand to get a medical redshirt during his time at East Carolina.

However, as valiant as Minshew’s effort may be, it’s hard to imagine that a prospect who draft pundits viewed in the same tier as Andrew Luck won’t be the Day 1 starter. Lawrence certainly put in the work with his teammates during his time away from the facility (in Jacksonville and at Clemson) to pick up where he left off at minicamp after finishing the process on a high note.

Truth be told, it feels as though Minshew’s best chance to start will be with another team. There was trade interest for him this spring, however, Jags coach Urban Meyer came out to say the team would be holding on to Minshew (at least for now).

With Meyer set to lead his team through his first-ever training camp as an NFL coach, hanging on to Minshew could prove to be smart because he undoubtedly has a mindset that will push Lawrence. At the same time, Minshew could put together a solid preseason, which could garner better trade options than before. Even if it doesn’t, the Jags could enter Week 1 of the regular season with one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL.