Urban Meyer isn’t ready to name a starting quarterback yet, although the Jaguars head coach said Friday he has a timeline in mind for when he wants to name one.
Meyer said in theory, the competition between No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew could go all the way through the Jags’ third preseason game on Aug. 29, but he would “rather it not.”
Meyer added he will continue to consult with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in deciding on a starter for the team’s Sept. 12 regular season opener against the Houston Texans.
“I do [have a timeline] in my own mind,” Meyer told reporters. “But once again, it’s a conversation that the three people are having daily.”
Meyer said Friday he hasn’t “even talked to those guys yet” about whether Lawrence or Minshew will start the Jags’ second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday.
Lawrence got the start in Jacksonville’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns last Saturday, completing 6-of-9 passes for 71 yards, while Minshew went 4-of-7 for 47 yards with an interception.
Lawrence, who has been alternating first-team reps in training camp with Minshew, said he has no problem competing for the starting job.
“No, it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I think that’s the way to run a team, honestly. You’ve got to compete. Everyone’s job, the best player has to play, and you’ve got to compete. As a first-year player coming in, it’s kind of what’s expected. You want to compete for the job, and there’s a right way to do things. I think they’ve handled it great. We’re in a good spot and we’re just going to keep working. I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get, and that’s all I can really do.”
Lawrence said as a rookie, the more reps he can get, the better.
“Obviously, as a young guy, you want as many as you can get just because every look you get is something new you’re seeing and that you can learn from,” he said. “So for me, I just want as many as I can get. We’re at that point now, we’ve been practicing for so long, it’s more about getting a lot more mental reps too because we can’t go out there for three hours every day as the season starts. Guys have to take care of their bodies and you’ve just got to be careful. But I think we’ve had great prep up until this point, a great camp. And for me, I’ve learned a lot and I’ve gotten a lot better I think, just taking care of the ball, decision making, knowing the offense.”