Jaguars' Urban Meyer Calls Gardner Minshew 'A Warrior' amid Trevor Lawrence Battle

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer continues to be impressed by Gardner Minshew amid the quarterback battle with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence.

"Well, Minshew’s not giving it up," Meyer said, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

The coach is yet to name a Week 1 starting quarterback and insisted the battle is genuine. Lawrence comes in with plenty of hype, but Minshew has displayed his strengths during practices.

"He’s a much different player than Trevor," Meyer said of Minshew. "Trevor’s a down-the-field passer, this guy’s a scramble-around, make-plays guy, but I’ll tell you what he really is, he’s a warrior. And I appreciate warriors. It’s a street fight right now."

The Jaguars have their second preseason game Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints, which could be an important test for both players.

Lawrence was the better player during Week 1 of the preseason, finishing with 71 passing yards on 6-of-9 passing in a loss to the Cleveland Browns. Minshew finished 4-of-8 for 47 yards with an interception.

The past two seasons still showed Minshew can be a reliable quarterback, totaling 37 touchdowns with 11 interceptions across 23 appearances. The 2019 sixth-round draft pick beat out high-priced free-agent signing Nick Foles for a starting job as a rookie and has continued to produce despite overall team struggles.

The 25-year-old will now try to stay on top of the depth chart despite the presence of one of the most hyped quarterback prospects in years.

Meyer is providing plenty of chances for the quarterbacks to prove themselves, giving each player first-team reps in practices. The coach recently said the competition could last until the third preseason game, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.

"It's a battle," Meyer told Breer. "I see the stats every day, and the greatest thing that can happen is that it becomes a street fight for as long as possible."