Why the Jaguars Are Choosing Jake Luton Over Mike Glennon vs. Houston

Jake Luton will get the start for the Jaguars against the Houston Texans, a move made by the coaching staff that shows their eagerness to see the rookie over a journeyman veteran.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6) host the Houston Texans (1-6) in Week 9, they will have a new face under center as Gardner Minshew deals with a thumb injury. 

That face will almost assuredly be rookie quarterback Jake Luton instead of eighth-year veteran Mike Glennon. To some, it could be surprising to see a 1-6 team with an uncertain future on its coaching staff starting a Day 3 rookie at quarterback, but the Jaguars and head coach Doug Marrone are simply opting to learn more about their roster as they move on without Minshew.

“I think both guys have to be ready. That’s what I’ve told both players, they have to be ready. But, I feel like I’ve seen a lot of Mike [Glennon], I haven’t seen a lot of Jake [Luton], so I’m going to go with Jake this week taking the reps and see how he does," Marrone explained on Monday.

The move to Luton, the No. 189 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, means Jacksonville will start a sixth-round rookie at quarterback for the second time in two seasons. Due to the canceled preseason and the fact that Minshew has been entrenched as the starting quarterback when healthy, Luton has yet to take any kind of live NFL snap. 

Luton's inexperience will obviously create a margin of error and risk level that some teams would be hesitant to turn to. But at 1-6, what do the Jaguars have to lose exactly? 

"I think we’ll figure out what we’re going to get. I think we’ll see. I mean everything’s a risk, so why not?” Marrone said.

"We have a long way to go. I mean it’s going to start with these practices each day and preparation and all that. I think we’ll all know it when we see it."

The staggering inexperience of Luton is a stark contrast to Glennon, who is on his fifth team since being drafted in 2013. The journeyman veteran has been turned to as the starting quarterback for teams in the past, whether in a pinch due to injuries, as a coveted addition, or as an up-and-coming quarterback himself. 

Glennon has 22 starts in his career and has played with Oakland (2019), Arizona (2018) and Chicago (2017) after beginning his career in Tampa Bay (2013-16), where he was originally drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. 

In those starts, Glennon has gone 6-22 and attempted 801 passes. At this point, Glennon is who he is. The tape is out there on him, and his game will not change. The Jaguars and the rest of the league know what he brings to the field, but this isn't the case for Luton, who has yet to even be on an active game day roster. After all, Glennon has been Minshew's backup for each game this season.

"I think that was it. I think that in the beginning it was Gardner [Minshew II] was playing and I didn’t feel that Jake [Luton] might have been ready right away to bring him up there. Mike [Glennon] had the experience so we brought him up there," Marrone said. 

"Then Jake’s done a nice job, so I don’t really [know]. I think Jake has a high ceiling and that’s my opinion of him and I think it’s what you said, Gene. I think, not to take anything away from Mike, I have a ton of respect for him and I told that to Mike and I just said, ‘I just want to see where this kid’s at.’ If you’re going to do something, does that come under crazy s***? But I think you might as well look, might as well see what we have. Go ahead and play him and let’s go.”

Luton will be yet another rookie quarterback for offensive coordinator Jay Gruden to develop. It will be his first in Jacksonville, though he has also coached rookie passers in Andy Dalton and Dwayne Haskins. He has worked with veterans much more often, as all offensive coordinators have, but it is clear he and Marrone will be leaning on Luton's youth this Sunday -- and it is clear why. 

While there is risk involved with turning to a rookie signal-caller, the Jaguars are rolling the dice on potential over a low-floor, low-ceiling veteran. Considering the 1-6 record, this is a sensible and unsurprising move.

"No, I’m going to watch him this week and I’m going to play him. I feel comfortable. I mean I’ve watched him enough, it’s not like I haven’t, but I’ve watched him enough and now it’s going to be how he does when he gets in there when the bullets are flying," Marrone said.