5 Free Agent QBs the Jaguars Should Consider Signing As the Team’s Backup
The Jacksonville Jaguars have more decisions to make at the quarterback position this offseason outside of who their starter will be. Such is the case when you are fresh off a 1-15 season that saw three quarterbacks take turns as starter.
The Jaguars currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and are expected to use the selection on a quarterback, likely Clemson's Trevor Lawrence. But what about the backup role for their rookie quarterback? Would they want to enter 2021 with Gardner Minshew or Jake Luton as their backups, or would they prefer a veteran alternative?
If the answer is the latter, then the Jaguars have plenty of options. They brought in Mike Glennon as their veteran option in 2020, but what if they explored the veteran backup quarterback market again this March? With a rookie quarterback set to start Week 1, there are plenty of reasons to think the Jaguars would want an experienced passer as his backup.
So if the Jaguars were to look into signing a free agent backup quarterback, which options would make sense? We picked five here.
Andy Dalton
The Jaguars were reportedly in the Andy Dalton market last offseason when he was a free agent, but they ended up losing out on the former Bengals quarterback when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Jacksonville instead had to pivot to signing Mike Glennon, and their 2020 quarterback room was made. If the Jaguars were to once again be in the market for a veteran backup, however, they should make a second run at Dalton.
Dalton isn't the type of quarterback that a team can be comfortable with as a season-long starter -- especially not at this point of his career -- but he is likely one of the better backup quarterbacks in the entire NFL. He has 10 years of experience and has appeared in 144 NFL games, so he would be an absolute wealth of knowledge for whichever quarterback the Jaguars take at No. 1 overall.
Dalton is also one of the few quarterbacks on this list who could hold the ship steady in the event a starter was injured. He went 4-5 as the Cowboys' starter last year and had just eight interceptions compared to his 14 touchdowns. He isn't going to push for a starting job, but he is a reliable backup.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
It remains to be seen what the Miami Dolphins will do with Ryan Fitzpatrick following a 2020 in which they handed the keys to the offense to his rookie backup only midway through the season. But as of now, the 16-year veteran looks set to be available on the open market once free agency begins.
Fitzpatrick has played for eight different teams already in his career, so what would be a ninth? He undoubtedly would prefer to go to a spot where he can compete for playing time, especially after being benched with a winning record in 2020, but the simple truth is that situation may not exist for Fitzpatrick in 2021. Most teams are either in the market for quarterback upgrades or feel content with their passers; not many are looking for a 38-year-old quarterback to push for the starting gig.
Like Dalton, Fitzpatrick would be a terrific resource for a rookie quarterback. He did it for Tua Tagovailoa last year, serving as a key piece to the rookie's transition to the NFL even though he took his starting gig. He would also be equipped to keep the team competitive in any event the starting quarterback wasn't able to play.
Jacoby Brissett
It isn't always easy to find backup quarterbacks with extended histories as starting quarterbacks. Many teams have backups who have limited experience on the field, though this isn't the case for all. In the specific case of Jacoby Brissett, however, the player offers plenty of experience as both a backup and a starting quarterback, which should interest teams like the Jaguars.
Brissett has spent the last four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, starting 30 games in the process. During that time, he also served as a backup to both Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers. He isn't a starting-caliber quarterback, but he is a serviceable passer the Jaguars should know well from their bouts in the AFC South, and his experience on both the field and the sidelines should be beneficial for a teammate who is a rookie quarterback.
Geno Smith
Another quarterback with extensive experience as both a starter and a backup, Geno Smith has a connection to one of Jacksonville's newest top offensive assistants as well. Smith spent 2020 as Russell Wilson's backup with the Seattle Seahawks, meaning new Jaguars passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer -- who was Seattle's offensive coordinator last season -- knows exactly what he would bring to the table as a backup.
Smith has only started two games since the 2014 season ended, but he did start 30 games in the first two seasons of his career. He knows the expectations that come with being a rookie starting quarterback, even if he wasn't a No. 1 overall pick. Add in his years spent as a backup quarterback, and the Jaguars could see sufficient value in adding Smith.
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor was supposed to serve as the Los Angeles Chargers' bridge quarterback during Justin Herbert's rookie season, or at least during the start of it. Taylor got the nod as the starting quarterback in Week 1 and the expectation was he would be the team's starter and Herbert's mentor until Herbert was ready to play.
This clearly changed when Taylor suffered an injury at the hands of a team doctor, but the sentiment remained. Taylor has been a mentor and leader of a quarterback room for numerous top picks at quarterback over the last few years. He knows how to help bring along a rookie quarterback better than maybe any other backup in the NFL, which could potentially draw the eye of the Jaguars if they go the free agency route.
