The Jaguars have waived injured defensive end Steven Wesley. Wesley and the team reached an injury settlement, meaning he will not revert to Jacksonville's injured reserve if he clears waivers.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio confirmed Tuesday that veteran quarterback David Garrard will start the team's season opener. Jacksonville drafted Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall pick in April's NFL Draft. The rookie from Missouri then started the team's first preseason game as Garrard recovered from a sore back.

The Jaguars are working to protect the health of running back Maurice Jones-Drew. He had offseason surgery on his right knee and may not play in a game until the regular season. Jones-Drew could get a few carries in Jacksonville's third preseason game, but coach Jack Del Rio wouldn't commit to any timetables. "We have a plan," Del Rio said. "He's fully compliant and understands that we've got to have a plan. We've got to execute that plan, and part of that is getting him to the season as healthy and prepared as possible. He does need to have some contact, but we'd like that contact to be controlled as long as we can. That's why he won't be playing this week."

Jaguars quarterback David Garrard returned to practice on Saturday. He missed more than a week of training camp with a sore back and even hopes to play in the team's preseason game against the Falcons this week. "I'm tired of sitting around and watching," Garrard said. "But I'm not going to try to overdo myself with too many extra things." Jacksonville rookie Blaine Gabbert took the first-team snaps in Garrard's absence.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler won't ask Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew to apologize for comments made on Twitter back in January during the NFC Championship Game. Jones-Drew told The NFL Network this week that he has no intention of mending fences with Cutler after criticizing him for leaving with a knee injury during the third quarter against the Packers with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The nature of Cutler's injury was unknown during and immediately following the game, but was later determined to be a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. "I wouldn't apologize because I didn't do anything wrong, I don't think," Jones-Drew said. "I didn't commit a crime. I didn't kill anyone or rape anyone or anything like that. I mean, I stated my opinion, and it seems like you get more backlash for that than committing a real crime in some sense. "I don't know, I don't feel I did anything wrong. I just said what everybody else was thinking at the time." Cutler is moving on as well, hoping to prove any critics wrong. "Yeah, I mean, it was like wildfire," Cutler told WSCR-AM this week. "Like I said -- the whole Twitter thing -- as soon as you put something out there, it's an immediate impact. I was a little bit taken back by the whole question of the toughness and stuff, but at the end of the day, those guys in the locker room know what I am about and they have my back. Jones-Drew ... I mean, I didn't ask him for an apology and don't expect one. He can continue playing his career and I'll continue playing mine."

Linebacker Matt Roth agreed to a one-year, $3M deal with the Jaguars on Thursday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Jaguars rookie quarterback will start against the Patriots on Thursday night. David Garrard has been declared out by coach Jack Del Rio because of continued back issues. Garrard tweaked his back during practice Thursday and hasn't done anything on the field since. Gabbert started the team's scrimmage Saturday and was solid despite a few dropped passes. "It's going to be fun," Gabbert said. "Those reps are going to be extremely valuable, on film after the game just to see what was going on. That will be the first live game I've been in in this league, so it will be fun. There are going to be mistakes made, but we've just got to learn from those and correct them the next week."

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio wants to see his players show more respect for one another. To ensure his rookies aren't mistreated, Del Rio has banned rookie hazing. Rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert had mentally prepared himself to get buzzed during camp, but now his long golden locks are safe. Del Rio made it clear that hazing should be limited to the "Rookie Show," an annual talent competition put on by newcomers. He also will allow dance competitions in the locker room and continue to have rookies carry veterans' helmets and shoulder pads off the field following practices. "The whole thing really had gotten carried away in recent years," Del Rio said. "We wanted to rein it in a little bit while still letting the guys have some fun."

Jaguars quarterback David Garrard has dealt with lower back pain before. He missed some practice time with the issues last season and even had some workouts halted this summer. Garrard's sore back kept him out of Jacksonville's scrimmage Saturday, allowing more repetitions for first-round draft pick Blaine Gabbert and third-stringer Luke McCown. "I'm pretty sure everyone wants to see (Gabbert) anyway," Garrard said with a smile.

The Jaguars have signed Pro Bowl tight end Marcedes Lewis to a five-year, $35 million contract. Lewis will get nearly $17 million guaranteed. Jacksonville placed the franchise tag on Lewis after he caught 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns -- all career highs -- in 2010.