Jaguars HC Doug Marrone Sees Gardner Minshew II As a Player 'On a Mission'
For any football team, no other player needs to command more respect from those within the team than the starting quarterback. They are the leaders of not just the offense, but of the entire team in most cases. They should be looked to as an example of how to the right things in the best circumstances.
Luckily for the Jacksonville Jaguars, that appears to be just what they are getting in second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew II thus far.
The Jaguars already knew they had a fiery, intelligent and hard-working player in Minshew after he appeared in 14 games as a rookie. The sixth-round backup stepped into the huddle when Nick Foles went down with an injury in the first quarter of Week 1, and he never looked back, leading Jacksonville to six wins.
Thanks to his entertaining play style and off-field charisma, Minshew developed a following that has seen him become one of the league's most interesting signal-callers. But while his quirky interviews and fashion choices may be what grabs headlines, it has so far been his mindset and actions on and off the field that have caught the eyes of the Jaguars.
"I see the guy that comes in with a mission and a focus every single day. When he’s here or around myself, not to say that we might not laugh about something or joke, we do, but I don’t see that other side that people say about the quirkiness or things of that nature," head coach Doug Marrone said during a video press conference on Thursday.
"Maybe I bring that out in people, I don’t know. I’m just saying I see a guy that’s focused and he’s ready to go and every time he’s here and he’s working, he’s on a mission and he’s really working with his teammates."
Marrone continued to say that while Minshew does have a good personality which can draw people to him, it is the way he carries himself around the team and on the field that especially catch his eye. Considering Minshew is entering just his second pro season and his first season as a full-time starter, it is likely encouraging for Marrone his Minshew is quarterback who is working hard to continue to get better.
"I say that he’s someone that has a really good personality and can laugh at himself and do those things, which I think is important in life. I think that he’s someone that can communicate with everyone on his team no matter where you are or whether you’re the guy that stays in the corner or whether you’re out there. And I think that’s great. Those things are positive," Marrone said.
"Make no mistake about it, when he crosses that line and he’s on the field or he’s in the classroom or when he’s by himself, he’s working extremely hard. That’s what I see.”
Marrone wasn't the only one who gave Minshew a glowing review in terms of his leadership and want-to, either. Center Brandon Linder has been a captain for the Jaguars' offense and no other player on the offense has been with the franchise as long as he has. His opinion carries weight in TIAA Bank Field, and earning the center's respect is important for any quarterback.
For Linder, Minshew showed last year why he commands respect when he steps onto the field. He took his job and role on the team seriously as a rookie, he noted, helping him earn the praise of his coaches and teammates.
"What happened to Nick Foles was unfortunate, a freak injury. Then, this rookie steps in and I don’t know his stats that game, but it was pretty remarkable, his attempts and completions but as the weeks went on he wasn’t a rookie anymore," Linder said Wednesday. "He came to play every game. He had a look in his eye, and everyone admired that and got behind that.”
