Jaguars to start Mike Glennon over Gardner Minshew in Week 16 vs. Bears, per report

The Jaguars will go back to Glennon this week

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in line for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, needing just two losses to ensure the top spot and the right to select Trevor Lawrence. Some might suggest Jacksonville isn't taking any chances at squandering the opportunity at the top pick in Week 16, going back to Mike Glennon as the starting quarterback over Gardner Minshew for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

"We told both players, Mike [Glennon] and Gardner [Minshew], we're going to split the reps and see how practice goes," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said to reporters earlier in the week on choosing a starting quarterback. "We're doing that in a couple different [positions]. They're not the only position. We're looking at some other players and saying, 'Hey, whoever has the best week of practice [will play]' and make sure we get the right guy out there that can do the game plans that we need to win. We have a competition going on and we'll see who does well."

Minshew started the Week 15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, completing 22 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns and zero interceptions as Jacksonville could only muster 14 points. Minshew replaced Glennon in a Week 14 loss to the Tennessee Titans, and has completed 66.7% of his passes for 404 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions since his return to the starting lineup. He has outperformed Glennon in that stretch -- Glennon has completed 61% of his passes for 600 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in his three starts -- but neither is expected to be the Jaguars starting quarterback in 2021. 

With the New York Jets shocking the Los Angeles Rams last week, Jacksonville needs to lose out in order to lock up the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. The Jaguars clinch the No. 1 pick by having an easier strength of schedule than the Jets -- even though they both have the same record -- clinching the top spot. 

Despite the claims the Jaguars are playing to lose, Marrone has insisted that's not the case. 

"It's a big game for us of what we want to accomplish to each other," Marrone said regarding Sunday's game. "Like I said before, when you're going through this, and I told the players today, there's a lot going on on the outside, whether it be rumors of change or draft status. I told the players that at the end of the day, we just have to concentrate on what we're concentrating on and the best thing we can do for each other is pull together, keep doing what we're doing, and go out there and make plays and win a football game."