With Jake Luton struggling and Gardner Minshew not 100 percent, the Jacksonville Jaguars will start Mike Glennon Sunday against the Browns.
At 1-9 with a nine-game losing streak, the Jacksonville Jaguars are reeling and looking for any kind of answer. On Wednesday morning, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN, head coach Doug Marrone announced Mike Glennon will be the starting quarterback Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
In place of an injured Gardner Minshew (thumb), rookie Jake Luton has started the last three games for the Jaguars. Last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Luton threw for 151 yards with four interceptions.
Glennon has not played yet this season. He last started a game in 2017 for the Chicago Bears, as he started the first four games before giving way to a then-rookie Mitchell Trubisky. The most extended action of his career came as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013 when he started 13 games with 19 touchdown passes, nine interceptions and an 83.9 passer rating. Glennon is 6-16 as an NFL starter.
Mike Glennon is the last quarterback option for Jaguars
In announcing the decision to go with Glennon, Marrone gave some expected (if flimsy) comments.
“I think [Glennon] gives us the best chance to win,” Marrone said. “Like I said before, Jake’s going to take a step back, Gardner’s still limited without a full-week workload on. I don’t want to put anyone out there that I haven’t seen do a full workweek. Mike’s experienced, and that’s why we brought him in here, to be able to fill in whenever we need him. So he’ll get his opportunity.”
Minshew seems to be progressing toward a return, and he may be active as the backup on Sunday, but Marrone doesn’t want to start him without a full week of work in practice. That’s a solid idea, as if it really matters for the Jaguars at this point. They are moving toward a high draft pick next April, along with having a new head coach and possibly a new general manager. Wins at this point are not beneficial to the franchise long-term, and Marrone surely can’t save his job by finishing something like 4-12.
Glennon may only get one start before Minshew is deemed healthy enough to play Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings. Minshew can be fun to watch, as he channels being a younger Ryan Fitzpatrick. For at least one more week though, the Jaguars will be one of the worst things a bad team can also be–boring.