Jaguar’s QB Blaine Gabbert made a respectable debut against the Patriots last night. He completed 9 of 16 passes for 85 yards, with no scores or turnovers. He also said he wasn’t intimidated by the action, thinking of it as “another practice.” Gabbert did take 3 sacks in his 6 possessions.
The 10th overall pick in the year’s draft earned the job with solid play in training camp, and the injury to last year’s starter David Garrard removed any doubt.
“I’m going to go out there and play football,” Gabbert said.
In fact, Gabbert considers his “competitive attitude” to be his greatest strength. “I’m not going to settle for anything less than winning football games,” he said. “That’s what it boils down to. You either win or you lose.”
Of course, the NFL lockout didn’t do him him any favors. Gabbert admits that it was a challenge “not being able to have contact with the coaching staff, going over the playbook with them, and really not having any rookie minicamp.”
But if he plays well enough in training camp and preseason action, Gabbert is hoping that the coaches won’t hold his youth against him. “I just want to come in and compete,” he explained. “That’s all you can ask for. The best man will play.”
Regardless of whether or not Gabbert wins a starting job this year, he clearly has a bright future. The Missouri product possesses a prototypical 6’4, 234-pound frame and a strong, accurate arm. And with his burning desire to succeed, there’s little doubt that he’ll be a fixture of NFL Sundays for years to come.
