Byron Leftwich is trying to prove his ankle injury is healed. David Garrard is waiting to be told whether or not he'll get his first start at quarterback since the end of last season.
"I think I practiced well (on Wednesday) but it's not my call. All I can do is work my tail off to get the ankle in the best condition for Sunday, and then we'll see. I'll be ready for any situation," Leftwich said.
The call belongs to Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio and he's not ready to announce his decision on who his starting quarterback will be this Sunday in Philadelphia. Leftwich remains the team's "starting quarterback" by distinction, but Leftwich is listed as "questionable" on the team's injury report and Del Rio announced on Wednesday that Leftwich would split practice time this week with Garrard.
"It does make it tough when you're not certain what's going on, but I have to be ready every week with no snaps," Garrard said of his normal routine as the team's backup quarterback.
"I don't know. I'm just preparing for whatever," he added.
Garrard remains hopeful of getting a chance to be a starting quarterback somewhere in the league. Should he be the Jags' starting quarterback this Sunday in Philadelphia, he'll have a chance to showcase his talents on the same field with the league's leading touchdown-passes and yards-passing leader, Donovan McNabb.
"I'm really tired of trying to showcase," Garrard said of using Sunday's game to interest teams in trading for him. "I want to help this team get a win. If it's just having an OK game and pulling out a win, then a win is a win."
Garrard's mobility might be an asset against the Eagles pass-rush, which has produced 25 sacks. Powerfully built and athletic, Garrard has raw skills similar to those of McNabb, who is also the NFL's second-leading rusher among quarterbacks.
"If they don't think he can do it here, I'm pretty sure he can do it somewhere else. He can start in Dallas," running back Fred Taylor said of Garrard.
"This week has been good so far," Taylor added. "We had a very, very sharp practice (on Wednesday). I'm not the only person excited about this game coming up on Sunday. We've gotten into our playbooks. The coaches have simplified things. Our mental (attitude) is fine. We're going to play well."
Leftwich continued to make himself available to the media this week, even though he is clearly upset that his starter's status is in doubt.
"You get disappointed any time you come into questioning and you just give everything you got week in and week out," Leftwich said. "We're 3-3. It's not over. It's not time to panic."
