Jaguars’ Gardner Minshew II: ‘I’m Gonna Give Us the Best Chance to Win No Matter What’
As the never-ending offseason has rolled into May, pundits, fans and coaches alike have had more and more time to reflect on the 2019 season. As they have continued to do so, attention has been turned to the performance of (at the time) rookie Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II.
Minshew was intended to be a backup, learning behind Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles for a while. But when Foles was hurt in Week 1 and the sixth-round Washington State product was thrown into the fire, Minshew’s fearlessness and tenacious style of play not only captured the heart of Jaguars fans across Duval County, but it also, well, worked, at least relative to past years.
When a healthy Foles returned, the cries for Minshew were so strong that the supposed starter was benched in Week 13 and the rookie sent back in to finish the season. Minshew finished 6-6 as a starter and positioned himself as the incumbent heading into the 2020 season.
And in retrospect, there are some Gardner Minshew takes that have been reevaluated, following his rookie performance to the tune of 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
Pro Football Focus revealed Minshew was their highest rated rookie quarterback in 2019, with a 70.3, ahead of Rookie of the Year and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. One can’t help but wonder if Minshew would have possibly even taken the award had he played a full season like Murray. He also came in only behind Lamar Jackson (430 yards) among all quarterbacks in scramble yards (350 yards) and ahead of Russell Wilson (335 yards). Continuing with PFF’s analytics grading scale, the site ranked Minshew as the 20th best quarterback overall of the 2019 season, the highest ranking of any rookie quarterback.
Additionally, while on the The Frangie Show on 1010 XL in Jacksonville earlier this month, Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy said of Minshew, "He obviously got grossly, grossly underdrafted. In hindsight, if there was a re-draft of last year, he’s a first or second-round pick.”
In true Minshew style, the outside adulation is on par with the criticism in that none of it deserve his attention. Instead, he’s focusing on earning the praise and therefore trust from those he’s spending his (virtual) days with, something the second-year leader feels he’s doing.
“I don’t really necessarily care about all that. What I care about is when guys on our team come and tell me they’re behind me, they believe in me. When I feel like I’ve earned the respect of those guys, those are the opinions I really care about and I think as long as I have that, we’re gonna build this thing together and it’s gonna be very exciting.”
“I think we’re definitely getting there. I think through what we did last year and also, we’re gonna, it’s all little different this year with how we’re not in person. But just trying to grow and develop those relationships from a distance right now. But hopefully—we’ll get back together soon.”
There are also noticeable areas of Minshew’s game that need work. Number one being ball security. The rookie fumbled 13 times, losing seven. It’s an area that must be addressed if Minshew is the long-term answer. While spending part of the offseason in South Florida training and now home in Brandon, Mississippi, Minshew is working on just that.
Because of some of Minshew’s deficiencies and perceived lack of arm strength compared to the rest of his class, there is an outside perception that Minshew is just a stopgap for the Jaguars. However, when Jacksonville waited until the sixth round to take a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft and then didn’t sign any big name free agent passer like Andy Dalton or Cam Newton, the message was sent. At least for another year, Gardner Minshew II is the guy.
“Right now, if we rolled that ball out there, he’d be the first guy behind the center. Yes, absolutely,” said Head Coach Doug Marrone of Minshew following the conclusion of the draft.
“It didn’t change anything that I do,” adds Minshew.
“Still gonna work the same way, still gonna lead the same way. I had conversations with Dave Caldwell. I told him ‘you do what you think’s best for this team.' I believe I’m gonna give us the best chance to win no matter what. And I just gotta prove that everyday and I'm excited for the opportunity to be able to prove that.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the guy the following year though, at least according—again—to outside perception. Several mock drafts for the 2021 season have the Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick, which would mean they finished with the league's worst record. The projections also have them taking Clemson’s quarterback stud Trevor Lawrence. Minshew tries to ignore this as much as he does the late praise, but it still seeps in at times. He’s asking his teammates to use it the same way he is; motivation to prove them wrong.
Dec 29, 2019; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) and wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. (17) leave the field after defeating the Indianapolis Colts at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
“I think it should put a chip everybody’s shoulder on our team, being kind of counted out like that. I think we do have a lot to prove. Prove that we’re not what anybody says about us. The only people that really, you know, only people’s opinions matter is who’s in that huddle, who’s on that team and I think we’re gonna set those expectations for ourselves and not worry about what anybody else has to say about us.”
