2019 was a disappointment to say the least in Jacksonville. The team had playoff expectations and fell well short and in the process, traded away their start corner in Jalen Ramsey, fired Tom Coughlin at the end of the season, and now have a question at quarterback.
Does the team go with fan favorite Gardner Minshew or big money free acquisition Nick Foles? Both are entering their second year with the Jags and will have Leonard Fournette in the backfield, D.J. Chark lined up at receiver, but not much else. James O'Shaughnessy had moments that wowed you but then he hurt his knee and the team placed him in IR.
While the QB situation didn't turn out quite like the Jaguars were hoping when they signed Nick Foles to that big contract, it wouldn't be smart to get rid of him after just four games. Gardner Minshew could take a step back or get hurt the same way Foles did. The experience that Foles also brings to the table is something valuable that the Jaguars need as well.
I'm in favor of the Jaguars keeping Nick Foles but others see differently.
From The Athletic, Greg Auman laid out the Jaguars' offseason shopping list and one of those items included trying to unload Foles. From Auman:
"To have Minshew throw for 21 touchdowns as a rookie against only six interceptions was a tremendous surprise for a sixth-round draft pick. It’s a luxury for an NFL team to be able to build around a quarterback on an inexpensive rookie contract, but unfortunately for the Jaguars, they’re still financially committed to Foles in a big way.
If they make the decision that Minshew is the likely starter, they could try to get out from Foles’ massive contract, though it won’t be easy. If Foles is on the roster March 20, an additional $5 million becomes guaranteed in a 2021 roster bonus, and cutting him creates more of a cap hit than any savings because of the guaranteed money.
If another NFL team saw Foles as a potential starter — this might be tough in a year with so many veteran passers available in one form or another — then the Jaguars could try to make his contract more palatable for a new team. Let’s say Jacksonville converts $5 million of his $15 million 2020 salary to a roster bonus, then trades him away for a late-round pick, they would be choosing to give him $35 million for one season rather than $50 million for two. The cap hit (with $18.8 million in pro-rated bonus accelerating against the 2020 cap) would be slightly more than if they kept him, but he’d be off the books after this season."
There's a lot that the Jaguars have to mull over this offseason. The quarterback situation is at the top of the list.
Should Minshew falter or get hurt, the Jags need a backup plan and while it's not ideal paying a backup the kind of money that Nick Foles will make, the experience is enough for the team to keep him on the roster.