Why Blaine Gabbert Is Not the Future of the Jacksonville Jaguars' QB Position

It was yet another frustrating day of football for fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars, as the Jaguars fell to the T.J. Yates-led Houston Texans on Sunday to fall to a woeful 3-8 on the season.

It was also a frustrating day for rookie signal-caller Blaine Gabbert, as the Jaguars quarterback went only 13-of-29 for 136 yards with an interception before being benched by head coach Jack Del Rio in favor of backup Luke McCown in the fourth quarter.

Those stats are reflective of Gabbert's struggles all season, as he's displayed questionable decision-making while completing over half his passes only three times in nine starts and posting a meager 62.2 quarterback rating.

The Jaguars have made a significant financial investment in Gabbert, signing him to a four year, $12 million contract after selecting him 10th overall in last April's draft, and the Jaguars were far from alone in coveting the 6'4" 233-pound Gabbert when he left Missouri.

However, concerns about Gabbert's ability to adapt to a pro-style offense appear to have had some validity, as Gabbert has struggled to read defenses.

While rookie quarterbacks are generally offered some slack, the emergence of such first-year players as Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals gives one pause as to whether Gabbert is lagging behind the curve or just incapable of keeping up with it.

Blaine Gabbert is still only 22 years old and it's possible that he will develop into a decent NFL quarterback, but the Jaguars didn't take him in the top 10 for him to be decent. The Jags drafted Gabbert to be their franchise quarterback and, to this point, he looks the least likely of this year's rookie crop to fulfill that goal.