The Jacksonville Jaguars have a short history in the NFL. That does not mean they haven't had their fair share of superstars.
Jacksonville has definitely featured some serious talent. They have legends at wide receiver in Jimmy Smith and running back in Fred Taylor.
The defense has been stacked for years as well.
However, quarterback has always been a bit of a position of struggle for them. This is absolutely a position that has produced them the smallest amount of star power.
That doesn't mean everyone has been a whiff though. So who tops the list?
Here are the five best quarterbacks in the history of the Jaguars' franchise.
5. Chad Henne
Chad Henne comes in at number five. That doesn't sound great, and to be honest, it's not.
There were a few other options that could have gone here, including Gardner Minshew. Yes, the current quarterback who doesn't even have a full year of starts under his belt.
Henne ends up here with passable stats. Nothing great, but he wasn't miserable in his time with the Jaguars.
In five seasons in Jacksonville, Henne made 22 starts. The team was an abysmal 5-17 in that time.
Henne completed just 57.6% of his passes, but did manage more touchdowns (27) than interceptions (26). He also threw for 5,817 yards which isn't bad for the playing time he had.
There's really nothing else to say here though. This is no shot at Henne. He has been a serviceable quarterback in the NFL. But having him in your top-five of all-time is a little disappointing.
4. Blake Bortles
It did not take long for Jacksonville fans to get on the Blake Bortles train.
Borltes was the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. And he was set to give them hope after the disastrous Blaine Gabbert debacle.
To be fair, Bortles delivered some reasons to have hope.
After struggling heavily in his rookie year, Bortles took a leap in year two. Yes, he still threw 18 interceptions, but he also threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns.
That started a four year stretch of pretty decent play from Bortles. He finished his Jacksonville career after five season. In that time, he managed 17,649 yards and 103 touchdowns compared to 75 interceptions.
Bortles was also a threat with his legs, running for 1,755 yards and eight touchdowns. This made him a little more dangerous.
The Jaguars went 24-49 in his time as the starter. But that includes a 10-6 year that saw them as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Bortles put the team on the map, even if it was just for one year.
3. Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich is one of the originals. There was one quarterback before him that made a bigger impact, but Leftwich definitely left his mark.
In four seasons with the team, Leftwich led them to a 24-20 record when he started.
While he completed only 58.7% of his passes, the quarterback threw for 9,042 yards and 51 touchdowns compared to 36 interceptions.
And yes, the quarterback was not known for his ability to run. However, he did manage eight rushing touchdowns in those four years. And that gave defenses at least a little something to worry about.
Injuries played Leftwich though. He never played all 16 games in a season. And that ended up being his downfall, as Leftwich's backup took over for him and the rest was history.
Definitely deserving of a spot on the list, it's sad to think about what could have been if the quarterback stayed healthy.
2. David Garrard
David Garrard is the quarterback that took over for Leftwich. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft and played sparingly in his first few years.
Garrard spent nine years with Jacksonville, his entire career. In that time, he made 76 starts. The Jaguars went 39-37 in those games.
Garrard completed 61.6% of his passes for 16,003 yards. He also had 89 touchdowns compared to just 54 interceptions.
Garrard was also not much of a runner, having just 1,746 yards in that time. He did rack up 17 rushing touchdowns though, and that's definitely a nice addition to his game.
The quarterback even won a playoff game. That's something few Jaguars quarterbacks can claim. So throwing that in with his pretty impressive regular season resume makes Garrard and obvious choice for the number two spot.
He doesn't get number one though …
1. Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell takes the top spot with extreme ease.
Brunell spent nine years in Jacksonville. In that time, he was basically the only starter.
The quarterback completed 60.4% of his passes for 25,698 yards and 144 touchdowns compared to only 86 interceptions.
Brunell also ran for 2,219 yards and another 14 touchdowns on the ground.
Most importantly though, he led Jacksonville to a 63-54 record during his time. That led to four playoff appearances. And in those playoffs, Brunell threw for 1,525 yards and 10 touchdowns (10 interceptions).
While the playoff numbers weren't great, the Jaguars went 4-4 with Brunell at quarterback.
He truly made them a contending team for a decently long stretch of time. That's something that no other quarterback in the history of the franchise could say.
Brunell was not perfect. But he was a great quarterback in the NFL and absolutely the best quarterback that the Jaguars have ever had.
He is the standard bearer until someone can dethrone him.
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