The Jacksonville Jaguars placed quarterback Blaine Gabbert on injured reserve on Wednesday, as well as high-priced free agent Laurent Robinson. This means that Chad Henne is going to be the Jaguars starter going forward and in a conference call on Wednesday, head coach Mike Mularkey told reporters that Henne could earn the starting job for the 2013 season.
The Jaguars are still likely wind up with a Top 10 pick in the 2013 NFL draft and needing to possibly look for another answer at the quarterback position is there. If Chad Henne indeed plays well and "earns" the starting gig for the 2013 season, what does that mean for the prospects of Mike Mularkey and Gene Smith going forward?
Henne playing well shouldn't be a saving grace for Smith, if that's what the idea here is. Smith would have still failed in trying to draft a long-term answer at the quarterback position, a failed in miserable fashion. He did indeed make the move to sign Henne in the offseason, but purely as a back up to the position while Gabbert developed.
If Henne comes in and plays similar to what he did on Sunday the remainder of the season, it's just more evidence Gene Smith failed at picking the most important position on the field.
So if Henne succeeds, does Gene Smith still get fired?
I still say yes.