Jaguars’ OC Darrell Bevell: QB’s Are ‘Still Status Quo’, Will Continue To Split Reps

The Jaguars are still dividing first-team reps between Gardner Minshew II and Trevor Lawrence, a trend that doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon -- and a trend that OC Darrell Bevell seems to support.

The Jacksonville Jaguars know who their Week 1 quarterback is likely going to be, but 24 days before the season opener, they still aren't budging on the inevitable. 

The consensus thinking is the Jaguars will eventually make No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence the official starting quarterback. Lawrence has been the best quarterback in camp and started last week's preseason game, but that hasn't stopped the Jaguars from dividing his first-team reps with third-year quarterback Gardner Minshew II for the duration of training camp.

“We are still going to handle it that way until we end up making the final decision, so right now they are still status quo," Jaguars offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said on Thursday.

“We’re trying to make everybody better and we want competition at each and every position. I think both guys are getting better because of it.”

The Jaguars' lack of desire to quickly make Lawrence the unquestioned starting quarterback has drawn raised eyebrows from most on the outside. A Clemson legend thanks to his stellar winning record and once-in-a-generation arm talent, Lawrence was considered to be the best quarterback prospect in a deep and talented class that saw five quarterbacks drafted in the first round. 

But to this point, the New York Jets are the only team with a rookie quarterback taking all of the first-team reps. The Jaguars, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots have all opted to have their rookie passers split reps and enter battles with veteran quarterbacks more suited to be backups, forcing each rookie passer to earn it.

The early thinking was Lawrence would be an exception to this strategy, but Bevell and head coach Urban Meyer have approached Lawrence's development in a substantially different fashion.

But while the decision to have Lawrence rotate daily with Minshew as the team's No. 1 quarterback has drawn some criticism from external voices, Bevell is of the belief that Lawrence and Minshew are able to improve their games every day, no matter the unit they practice with.

“Any rep that you can get is important and we value every rep. What I tell these guys, I just was telling them this morning that everything is being evaluated," Bevell said.

"We evaluate how they’re walking down the hall, how they come to meetings, are they on time, what’s their demeanor, everything because we are trying to get the best 53 guys that we can put on the field. Every rep that they get out there, whether it’s with the first group, whether it’s with the last group, you shouldn’t be counting lines, you should be making your rep count.”

The Jaguars do not appear any closer to naming a starting quarterback, even with the fan base and the rest of the NFL seemingly waiting on Lawrence to get the nod with each passing day. For now, Lawrence will continue to rotate with Minshew, even if Lawrence is expected to once again get the call as the starting quarterback in Week 2 of the preseason against the Saints. 

What exactly will Lawrence have to do to finally be named the starting passer and to get every rep with the starting offense? That remains to be seen as well, though it appears Meyer and the Jaguars have a clear criteria set.

“Just probably consistency is the word that you’re looking for right now," Meyer said this week. "He has a bunch of good plays, just can’t have a bad play at that position.”