JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have solidified their future at the quarterback position, with Trevor Lawrence recently becoming the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL this offseason. However, the competition behind him is fierce, as C.J. Beathard and Mac Jones are locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the second-string job.
"I think it's been really close, honestly," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. "The addition of Mac was great for that room. It was great for C.J. Both those guys have really embraced the challenge. We've been upfront with both of them and explained exactly how camp was going to go, and really, both of them are within three or four reps of having a 50-50 split right down the middle. So, it's been good. It's been good competition."
Competing against a teammate for the same position can be like walking a fine line, but the Jaguars' quarterback room sees it differently.
"We have these net challenges and stuff," Jones said. "It's like three brothers out there just throwing the ball around. We compete in that regard. We compete in every other regard. But at the end of the day, we're on the same team. We're all working for the common goal."
"It would be a lot harder if it was a tough situation as far as personality-wise, but Mac is a great dude," Beathard said. "He's easy to get along with. We're just having fun."
Although they get along now, Beathard admitted he was surprised when the Jaguars traded a sixth-round pick for Jones this offseason. Since then, he has embraced his role as a mentor.
"C.J. has been a really positive influence on Mac, just learning the system too," Pederson said. "That's something you don't see. When somebody's challenging for your spot, and you see that other player coach him up a little bit, that's encouraging and that's positive."
While this battle is for a backup position, it could have significant implications. Last season, Lawrence endured his fair share of hits, and staying injury-free through a season is never guaranteed.
Pederson also announced that Lawrence will not play in the second preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The plan is for Beathard and Jones to play one half each, giving both quarterbacks ample opportunity to showcase their skills.