Sometimes a quarterback competition isn’t really a competition at all. Let’s jump back to 2021, and the Urban Meyer era for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence first overall in the NFL Draft, who was one of the best quarterback prospects ever. Everyone knew he would start Week 1 but in his infinite wisdom Meyer pretended there was competition.
He split time with Lawrence until August 25, when he was finally named the team’s starter. That cost Lawrence valuable reps, when everyone knew the outcome. Meyer was fired after 13 games.
There seems to be little real competition this time around, though not much. Let’s take a look at where the rivalries stand when the preseason gets underway in full this week:
This one is way more like an Urban Meyer/Trevor Lawrence situation then a true rivalry. The Commanders refuse to name Jaden Daniels as their starter, even though everyone assumes it will be the second overall pick in the draft.
Marcus Mariota is the backup. This appears to be a time-consuming "freshman earns it" approach, because if Daniels isn't the Opening Day starter, there's a serious problem in Washington.
"As we go through this whole process, make sure that if we're going to be competitive, and how things are going to play out, we don't miss a step of their development and that's what this time of year is for," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said, through the group’s website.
Don't fall out of your seat when Daniels is named the starter this month. It’s not as competitive because Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin hasn’t given many indications that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are indeed competing.