At the midpoint of training camp, the Jacksonville Jaguars are already sorting the practical questions that matter behind Trevor Lawrence. The biggest one is not the starter’s job; that part is settled. It is what happens next, where Nick Mullens is already unchallenged as QB2 and the real opening sits one step further down the depth chart. That is why Saturday’s preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints matters even with Lawrence set to watch from the sideline.
Lawrence is expected to sit out the game after Thursday’s joint practice, which pushes the focus onto the quarterbacks behind him. For the Jaguars, this is the first preseason chance to evaluate the reserve group in live game conditions, and that includes Carter Bradley in the broader competition for the QB3 and practice squad spot.
Mullens has already separated himself
Last March, the Jaguars signed Nick Mullens to a two-year, $4.5 million deal, and the move looks even more straightforward now. Last year, Mullens served as a sounding board for Lawrence in Lawrence’s first year in the McVay-family style of offense, which gives the staff a veteran they trust in the meeting room as much as in the huddle. He is not the question. He is the answer at QB2.
That clarity matters because it changes the preseason lens. There is no real mystery about who is behind Lawrence. The open job is QB3, and that is where the competition becomes meaningful. If the Jaguars want to use preseason to measure who can handle emergency duty, developmental reps and a practice squad role, this is the stage for it.
Why Saturday matters
The numbers and timelines point in the same direction. Lawrence’s absence makes sense because the Jaguars had just gone through Thursday’s joint practice, and there is little reason to expose the starter in a game that is far more useful for evaluation than for risk. The Saints game is about depth, repetition and whether the younger options can turn practice flashes into something more stable.
Sunday only reinforced that point. Mullens found Austin Trammell deep for two different touchdowns, a reminder that the backup quarterback can already function in rhythm with the offense. That is exactly why the third quarterback discussion stands out more now: one spot is settled, one is not, and preseason is where the Jaguars begin to sort the difference.
For Jacksonville, the big picture is simple. Lawrence remains the franchise quarterback, Mullens is the clear QB2, and the real competition is for QB3 and the practice squad. Saturday will not settle every question, but it should give the Jaguars a better idea of who belongs in that final lane.
