Will the Jaguars Face Gardner Minshew or Anthony Richardson in Week 1?
With the selection of Anthony Richardson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, many believed that the Colts would opt to start their prized rookie signal caller immediately.
However, with Richardson being deemed a long-term project, could that pave the way for a familiar face?
In an interview with 1010XL's 'The Drill', renowned quarterbacks coach Denny Thompson, who coaches both Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew, guessed that the starting job will be Minshew’s by the start of the regular season as the Jaguars and Colts face off in Week 1.
“That’s my gut,” Thompson said when asked about his thoughts on Minshew starting. "I don't know. That's my gut.
Minshew’s one-year pact with the Colts was cited as a primary reason for this distinction, as was the hope for a best-case scenario for both his athletes seeing playing time on the field in 2023.
Minshew as a starter proved to be effective in two seasons with Jacksonville. The 27-year-old signal-caller appeared in 23 games for the Jaguars in 2019-2020, recording 37 passing touchdowns to only 11 interceptions while maintaining a passer rating above 90 according to Pro Football Reference.
If Minshew were to win the starting job it would certainly make for an interesting story for the Jaguars, featuring a battle of the past versus present in their week one contest against their AFC rivals.
In addition to Richardson, the AFC South has also added a first-round rookie in No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans) and second-round pick Will Levis (Tennessee Titans). Once Richardson earns the nod over Minshew and Levis gets the starting job from Ryan Tannehill, every quarterback in the AFC South will be a young signal-caller who is in the first three years of their career.
"It's nice to have your guy, but, listen, there's a bulls-eye on us, obviously. I want our team to understand that. And we have to continue to do -- we have to improve as a football team. We still left a lot of plays on the field last fall, both sides of the ball, really all three phases," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the draft.
"And, so, for us it's not focusing on other teams as much as it is just us getting better. And it will start this offseason. And it will carry over into training camp. But we have to improve. But it is nice knowing that you have the one piece, which is a big piece -- obviously the quarterback position -- in Trevor Lawrence."
