Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew has taken a bold approach to fend off the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Trevor Lawrence, from taking his starting spot.
“I’ll say this man, in preparation for the competition, I haven’t taken a s–t in weeks, because No. 2 isn’t an option for me. No. 2 is not an option.” Minshew said on “The Green Light” podcast.
Over the past two seasons, Minshew has started in 20 games for the Jags. The 25-year-old completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. However, he holds a 7-13 record as the starter — which helped lead Jacksonville to select Lawrence.
There were many teams interested in the former sixth-round pick this offseason after Minshew told ESPN that he “wants a chance to compete for a starting job.” But new head coach Urban Meyer shut down any trade talk. Instead, he opted to keep the fan favorite as insurance for the No. 1 pick — as well as promising Minshew a chance to keep his starting position.
And Minshew has been working to dethrone Lawerence.
“I know the work I put in, I trust that. I am ready as I can be. So I mean, it doesn’t matter outside of that. You know, I am fired up because I like how I play right now,” Minshew said.
The Jaguars’ training camp will start on July 29, and stretch to Aug. 8. There will be plenty of reps for both quarterbacks, though Meyer will not make any hasty decisions.
“Ultimately, when we name a starter, we’ll name a starter. Urban will do that when he’s ready, but I’ve just enjoyed watching these guys compete,” passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said in June.