Sports

Blaine Gabbert Hurt, Wins Starting QB Job

The Ballwin native and former Mizzou quarterback is slated to start for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars next month.

Maybe it was a YouTube parody that poked fun at his exploits which lit a fire underneath or maybe it was a New York Jets defense that did the trick, but regardless, Ballwin native Blaine Gabbert did enough to impress the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff Saturday to be named the NFL team's opening day starter at quarterback.

Gabbert, the former Parkway West and Mizzou standout, was 13-of-16  for 165 yards and a touchdown against the Jets Saturday. He left the game with a thumb injury that will keep him out for the rest of the preseason, according to Sports Illustrated and other media outlets.

Gabbert's record of 1-9 as a starter has not endeared him to Jacksonville fans over the past few seasons, but his performance Saturday impressed his new head coach.

"That was great, wasn’t it?” Gus Bradley said of Gabbert, according to the Florida Times-Union. “He came out, felt confident and we said, ‘Let’s do these things, and let’s go for it.’



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