Jacksonville Jaguars: Why Blaine Gabbert Will Eventually Replace David Garrard

One quarterback is a 10-year veteran. The other is a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. One has had a few shining moments in the NFL. The other can’t wait to take his first snap from center in a regular season game.

While Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback David Garrard and rookie gunslinger Blaine Gabbert are friends on and off the field, the questions begin to mount as to whether the teacher or the student should be the starter once the season begins.

The issue of who starts the season for the team has been answered by Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, when he made a statement last week that Garrard, a product of East Carolina, will be at the helm when the team takes on the Tennessee Titans.

But waiting for his opportunity is the blond kid with the good looks and great arm from the University of Missouri who has looked impressive at times during the preseason, and at other times, looks just like a rookie trapped in the mindset of learning on the fly.

It is only a matter of time before Gabbert takes over for Garrard. Garrard knows it, Gabbert knows it, the media and the fans know it. Garrard gives the team its best chance to win right now.  Putting Gabbert under center to start the season could have disastrous results and show the fan base that is already “iffy” when it comes to buying season tickets that they are hoping to rebuild instead of challenge for the AFC South title and a playoff spot.

If you listen to sports talk radio around Jacksonville, the idea of who should start for the team favors Garrard, but Gabbert’s performance in the preseason and during training camp garnered support from many sources. This includes ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter, who stated on his Twitter account two weeks ago that there was a battle for the starting position at quarterback on the Jaguars team.

Since then, Gabbert has been working with the second team and veteran backup Luke McCown has played more minutes in the Jaguars offense against second and third team opposition. It should be noted that McCown is the only quarterback on the Jaguars roster to not throw an interception this preseason.

So what is the team to do?

On Thursday night, Gabbert was the third-team quarterback. But who will be second when the season starts is still up for debate.

“We have two backups,” Del Rio said in a story written by Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union following the team’s 24-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Gabbert said he is fine with the idea of where he stands in the Jaguars rotation, no matter where that position is.

“It is more a big deal to people on the outside,” Gabbert said. “It’s just a number.”

Gabbert went on to say that if something were to happen to Garrard, both he and McCown would have to be prepared to play, no matter which one would will fill in at that time.

“We just know Dave is the starter,” he added.

Garrard has played in the team’s last two preseason games after dealing with a back injury that sidelined him, giving Gabbert a chance to shine. Garrard was hit a few more times than the team would have liked last night, with television cameras showing him grimace in pain from some of the hits from Rams defensive players.

Garrard is one good hit way from the rookie coming in, but that is no different than any other starter at quarterback in the league right now.

Gabbert completed a respectable 35-of-50 passes in the preseason, but as Del Rio said, he also looked like a rookie out there on the field. There were times when he noticeably looked lost in the team’s offensive scheme.

So when does Del Rio decide to give the keys to the offense to the future of the franchise? Only time will tell. The Jaguars invested $12 million over four years in Gabbert, all guaranteed. So the decision by Del Rio and the Jaguars general manger Gene Smith will be to either cash in on the investment now, or wait and see how the season progresses and then decide when to take the training wheels off the new bike.

Either way, you probably will see Gabbert in the starting line-up at some point this season.