Urban Meyer is one of the best college football coaches in history, but he already has made a few missteps in adjusting to the NFL for the first time and dealing with professional athletes instead of teenagers. Meyer only took the Jacksonville Jaguars job because the team was going to draft generational quarterback talent Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall this year, yet on Thursday Meyer actually said the Jaguars' QB competition is "open" between Lawrence and Gardner Minshew. SportsLine offers odds on the Jags' Week 1 starter.
The team's current unofficial depth chart shows Minshew "or" Lawrence as the starting quarterback in Jacksonville. When a local reporter asked Meyer on Thursday whether the competition for the Week 1 job remains open, the coach said: "Yes."
Meyer hasn't yet said who will start Saturday's preseason opener at home vs. Cleveland, but if it's not Lawrence it will be a mega-upset. Lawrence will sell tickets to that game. Minshew will not. Meyer said both will play, but the starter will be decided after he meets with his offensive staff Thursday night. Both players have received first-team reps throughout camp.
Lawrence, the first-ever No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, reportedly has been quite inconsistent in camp, but Minshew hasn't exactly done much in his two-year NFL career, going 7-13 as a starter. Meyer could be trying to juice up Minshew's trade value. Or motivate his rookie. Or both.
The past three No. 1 overall picks who were quarterbacks all started Week 1: Cincinnati's Joe Burrow last year, Arizona's Kyler Murray in 2019 (won Offensive Rookie of the Year) and Cleveland's Baker Mayfield in 2018. The last such QB to not start Week 1 was the Rams' Jared Goff in 2016; of course, he's now with Detroit.
At Caesars Sportsbook, Lawrence remains the +180 clear-cut favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The site gives the former Clemson star Over/Under season totals of 4050.5 passing yards, 25.5 passing touchdowns and 300.5 rushing yards.
Jacksonville opens the regular season Sept. 12 as a 3-point favorite at Houston. The last time the Jags were at least 3-point road favorites was in October 2019 at Cincinnati.
Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Who starts regular-season Week 1 at QB for Jacksonville?
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