JACKSONVILLE, FL – AUGUST 21: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens (14) looks for a receiver from the pocket in the first half during the NFL preseason game between the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, August 21, 2206 at EverBank Stadium in JAcksonville, FL (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jaguars fans and fans across the country.
The Jacksonville Jaguars spent over a decade in quarterback purgatory until Trevor Lawrence seized the crown as QB1. Duval County finally feels good about its starting signal caller… but there is some skepticism about QB2 Nick Mullens.
His all-but-guaranteed roster spot is being called into question after a poor performance in the first week of preseason. Mullens completed just 3 of 7 passes for 33 yards and an interception to finish with a brutal 17.9 passer rating. He also took a bad sack on 3rd down despite having multiple receivers open.
So after undrafted rookie quarterback Joey Aguilar flashed in the second week of preseason with a 152.1 passer rating, the question in town is: should the Jaguars consider using a roster spot on Aguilar — or another young, toolsy passer to compete for QB2 duties behind Lawrence? Maybe offer the Colts a seventh-round pick for Anthony Richardson?
Personally, I think the Jaguars will have a hard time demoting Mullens. He may not have the athletic traits of someone like Aguilar or Richardson, but what he does have is experience. Mullens was on Liam Coen’s Jaguars last season, Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings for three seasons, and Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers for four seasons. There’s a ton of schematic carryover in those offenses.
If Lawrence misses any time this season, the Jaguars would want to play someone who can maximize the playbook. To a lot of people, that means having someone with the physical ability to hypothetically execute any assignment. To the Jaguars, that might mean having someone with the scheme familiarity to dependably execute any assignment.
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