C.J. Beathard

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said the battle for backup QB between C.J. Beathard and Mac Jones is “really close.”

Beathard is the incumbent who has spent the last three years in Jacksonville and the last two years under Pederson. A true knower of the system, Beathard undoubtedly had the inside edge on this battle heading into camp and was the first to take the field in last week’s preseason game after the Jaguars pulled their starters. Beathard was solid in his outing, throwing for 125 yards and one touchdown while completing 7-of-14 passes, while Jones threw for 98 scoreless yards and completed 9-of-11 attempts. A former starter and first-round pick, Jones did about what we would expect against third-string defenders. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jags test him against stiffer competition in one of their final two preseason games.