Making the case for Gardner Minshew as the Seahawks QB of the future

A different kind of Cat (or Coug as it were)

A 6th-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, not much was expected of Minshew for an NFL career. He would go on to beat out the competition for the backup job to Nick Foles for week one. Early in that game, Nick Foles would go down with an injury, and Minshew was thrust into his first-ever game, against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

While the Jaguars would lose the game, Minshew impressed. In a 40-26 loss, Minshew went 22-25 for 275 yards and two touchdowns. It was one of the greatest first games ever by a rookie QB.

While Minshew’s play stood out during the next two seasons, so did the lack of talent in Jacksonville. The Jaguars would go 7-13 when Minshew was under center, with two injuries costing him twelve games. While the record didn’t look great, Minshew would throw for nearly 6,000 yards and a 37-11 TD to INT ratio.

When the Jags secured the #1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, a new staff was put in place, led by the infamous Urban Meyer. With a new (rotten) regime, they wasted no time in selecting superstar prospect Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson.

It was clear the Minshew era in Jacksonville was over. A trade to the Philadelphia Eagles put Minshew in another backup role to Jalen Hurts. The Eagles were a surprise success story last year, going 9-8 and making the playoffs as the seven seed. Minhsew did see two games of action, going 1-1 with a 4-2 TD/INT ratio. He was efficient and had the swagger and look of someone who is ready for his chance at being a real starter.

The only problem for Minshew is just getting an opportunity. Jalen Hurts, the raw, but talented QB, has demonstrated enough promise and production to keep the starting position this upcoming season. Barring an injury, it looks like Minshew will be forced to hold a clipboard again this season.