Blaine Gabbert will get his shot as a starting NFL quarterback. It just won’t be as soon as some might have expected given the announcement of Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback David Garrard’s recent injury. It turns out that Garrard’s injury is “nothing major” according to head coach Jack Del Rio, so Gabbert’s upcoming start tomorrow night against New England is simply a preseason shot at some reps with the first team and nothing more.
That said, the Jags went all in to grab the Mizzou QB with a trade in the first round at No. 10 overall. In the process, they lost a second round choice along with No. 16 overall in a draft that was incredibly deep. That’s a high price to pay for a player, which means that Garrard must be on his best behavior or Gabbert will get a chance to step in. Yet Garrard also deserves more credit than what he typically receives since he had a stellar year last season with a career high completion percentage of 64.5 to go with 23 touchdowns and an 8-6 record as a starter.
Still fans will be excited to see the first official game action of Gabbert under center as they likely witness the future of the franchise. Here’s hoping Gabbert has some luck against one of the NFL’s best teams of the last decade-plus.