The Jaguars have answered one of the few real depth-chart questions left before the Jags game against the Cleveland Browns. On Saturday afternoon, Jacksonville elevated Nick Mullens to the active roster and sent Quinn Ewers to the practice squad, making Mullens the backup quarterback behind Trevor Lawrence for Sunday’s season opener at EverBank Stadium.
The move closes the loop on a decision that has been in motion since Aug. 29, when the Jaguars traded for Quinn Ewers and sent away a 2028 sixth-round pick. For a while, the question was whether Jacksonville would keep the younger arm in the No. 2 role or lean on the more experienced option. The answer now is clear: if Lawrence cannot continue, Mullens is the passer who enters the game.
Why the Jaguars chose Mullens
This is a straightforward roster call, but it still says something about how Jacksonville views the immediate job. Mullens is a 31-year-old quarterback with game experience, and he already played for Jacksonville during his 2025 campaign. In a season opener, that kind of familiarity matters. So does the fact that the Jaguars do not have time for a developmental guess when the Browns are coming to town on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Ewers, by contrast, becomes the emergency quarterback after the move. That is not a long-term verdict, but it is the practical reality for this week. The Jaguars are prioritizing the passer they appear to trust most in the short term, not the one who arrived most recently.
What the numbers suggest
Mullens' previous Jacksonville stint was brief, but it gives the Jaguars a clearer working sample. He appeared in five games during the 2025 campaign and finished with 3 of 3 passes for 19 yards. Across his broader career, the 31-year-old has played in 34 games with 20 starts, completing 533 of 808 passes for 6,448 yards, 34 touchdowns and an 88.3 passer rating.
Those are not superstar numbers, but they do support the idea that Jacksonville wanted experience over uncertainty. In a Week 1 setting, the backup quarterback is usually less about upside than about stability. The Jaguars have now made that choice.
The bigger meaning for Sunday
With the Browns set to visit EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville has finalized its quarterback depth chart for the opener. Trevor Lawrence remains the starter, Mullens is the backup, and Ewers is on the practice squad as the emergency option. That may not change the headline matchup, but it does settle one of the most important subplots.
For a team entering the season opener, that kind of clarity matters. The Jaguars may still have plenty to prove against Cleveland, but at least the answer behind Lawrence is now decided.
