JACKSONVILLE, Fla. _ In his first zoom call with reporters Thursday, Gardner Minshew didn't wear his customary bandana.
But his mustache was thick, and so was his beard.
He did not flash his wit as frequently as he used to do last season, but he greeted a reporter by saying it's good to see you even though you don't have your camera on, but that's cool.
The regular season is four months away from starting, but already there's anticipation on how Minshew is going to perform. He is now the undisputed leader. He is the franchise quarterback who does not have to split the first-team reps with anyone.
The Jaguars traded Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears in March. And in April, they didn't draft a quarterback high in the draft or acquire Cam Newton or Jameis Winston in free agency.
They stuck behind Minshew, who shined enough as a rookie to unseat Foles and go 6-6 as a starter in 2019. It provided Minshew Mania to a fan base in Jacksonville that's desperate to see more wins.
"It didn't change anything that I do," Minshew said about the Jaguars not acquiring a high-profile rookie quarterback in the draft or proven veteran in free agency.
"I had conversations with (general manager) Dave Caldwell. I told him to do what he thinks is best for the team. I believe I'm going to give us the best chance to win, no matter what. I just got to prove that every day. I'm excited about the opportunity to be able to prove that."
Still, the Las Vegas oddsmakers do not think the Jaguars will be any better than last season when they fared 6-10. BetOnline has the Jaguars tied with the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants for the worst odds to win the Super Bowl at 250-1.
According to ESPN's 2020 projections, the Jaguars are the favorite to finish with the worst record in the league. ESPN gives the Jaguars only a 4% chance of making the playoffs and projected their win total at 4.9.
As one of the youngest teams in league with 67 players on their 90-man roster with four years or less experience, the Jaguars are also a consensus early favorite to land the No. 1 pick in the 2021 based on their projected record.
"I think it should put a chip on everybody's shoulder on our team to be kind of counted out like that," Minshew said. "I think we do have a lot to prove that we're not what anybody says about us. I think we're going to set those expectations for ourselves and not worry about what anybody else has to say about us."
