How Does Jaguars’ Quarterback Gardner Minshew Plan to Tackle the Offseason?
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The life of an NFL starting quarterback never ends, even when the regular season is in the rearview mirror. Players are always working away from the workplace to improve, maintain and ultimately develop their skills.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Garnder Minshew II will treat this offseason no differently, even if he hasn't officially been named a starter.
"I am going down to Naples probably and working out with Ken Mastrole. He is a guy I trained with throughout all of college and then for the combine prep," Minshew said earlier this week. "It is really getting back to the basics, being really solid on my fundamentals, and then we will take the film, go through it and see what I need to work on. Try to work on any weaknesses I find in my game."
Mastrole is a former NFL and collegiate quarterback who now runs the Mastrole Quarterback Academy in Naples, Florida. He has trained other NFL quarterbacks in the past such as Teddy Bridgewater, E.J. Manuel, and others.
Being able to train and workout in a private setting, as opposed to a more structured team practice setting, can be beneficial, Minshew noted. Instead of having to work on the same things all of the Jaguars' quarterbacks are set to work on, he can focus on his own areas of development.
"I think you can control your own workouts," he said. "You don’t have to worry about what anybody else wants to work on. You can take the tape, make it
into drills and really focus on what you need to do to get better."
But while Minshew will be working hard with Mastrole to improve on some of the down areas of his game, and hone in on what he does well, he will also be taking the time to recharge his batteries. For a rookie player, the 18 months between the college football season, draft preparation, the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, the draft and then the rookie season is a grueling time. It is a nonstop period that players never really experience at any other point.
"I think everybody needs a break at this point," Minshew said. "Obviously, we wish we were playing a few more games, for sure. But it is going to be good to give your body a break, give your mind a break. So that way when it is time to show back up here, we are going to be fired up and ready to go. I am excited for the work that we are all going to put in this offseason."
