Jaguars' Marrone backs Minshew but open to adding veteran QB

The Jacksonville Jaguars are confident in sophomore Gardner Minshew, but that doesn't mean head coach Doug Marrone won't explore the veteran quarterback market.

"(Minshew's) our quarterback there's no doubt about it, but one of the things that we're doing, we're still looking to make sure we're upgraded at each position. ... There are some veterans out there we might look at to bring in," Marrone said Friday on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football."

The Jaguars and New England Patriots are reportedly among the teams interested in signing Andy Dalton, who was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday after nine seasons as the team's starter.

Jacksonville traded veteran quarterback Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason for a fourth-round pick. Foles was just one season into a four-year, $88-million contract.

Minshew became a cult figure in Jacksonville as a rookie while starting in relief of an injured Foles from Week 2 to Week 9.

Foles briefly returned to the lineup in the middle of the campaign, but his poor play allowed Minshew to retake the job and finish the season.

Overall, the 2019 sixth-round pick threw for 3,271 yards and 21 touchdowns against six interceptions in 14 games, and his passer rating of 91.2 ranks as the sixth-best mark among first-year quarterbacks in NFL history (minimum 300 attempts).