How will Gardner Minshew’s eventual return impact Jacksonville Jaguars?
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew will resume throwing this week.
Sophomore quarterback Gardner Minshew could soon join the Jacksonville Jaguars after being out for a few weeks. Head coach Doug Marrone said that the signal-caller will start throwing this week, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
Minshew has been out with a thumb injury since Week 7, but he had been dealing with discomfort before that. Although he won six of his twelve starts last season, he has a 1-6 record as a starter in 2020, so it’s uncertain what kind of impact his return will have.
How does Minshew’s return impact the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The ‘Jags’ haven’t gotten much production from the quarterback position this season. Before he injured his thumb, Minshew was 176-of-267 for 1,855 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Jake Luton has completed 44 of 73 passes for 473 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Heading into the 2020 season, the Jaguars wanted to see if Minshew could be the long-term answer at the quarterback position. After all, the Washington State standout went 285-of-470 for 3,271 yards, 21 interceptions, and six touchdowns in his rookie season. The team’s brass rightly wanted to take a closer look at the signal-caller.
In the end, Minshew didn’t show enough the coaching staff considered benching him even before his injury. You could argue that the team didn’t give him enough time to prove himself, but he didn’t really display growth in his time at the helm in 2020.
Not long ago, Marrone said that there’s no guarantee Minshew will get his job back once he’s healthy enough. Jake Luton performed well in his first start but had a subpar performance against the Green Bay Packers. The coach could change his mind and give Minshew another chance in case the Oregon Standout keeps struggling.
How should the Jacksonville Jaguars handle their quarterback situation?
At this point, it may not matter what the Jaguars do at quarterback. Doug Marrone may not be back with the team the following year and a new head coach may want to bring ‘their own guy’. On the other hand, Minshew and Luton might not be the team’s long-term answer at the position, but they both hold some value.
If one of them plays well for the remainder of the season, the ‘Jags’ could use him as a bargaining chip in the offseason. If the team uses a high draft selection on a quarterback, they may need a placeholder and someone who could mentor the rookie. Let’s say Luton plays decently in the next seven games, this Jacksonville team could trade him and keep Minshew. After all, the team still hold his rights for two more years.
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Although it’s a bit too early and there are still seven games left on the schedule, the Jaguars need to start planning for the future. Luton’s play in the upcoming could determine what the organization will do with the quarterback position in the offseason and possibly his and Minshew’s future in Jacksonville.