Gardner Minshew drops gem about Jaguars QB competition

The Jacksonville Jaguars believe Trevor Lawrence can be a franchise quarterback. Barring serious injuries, the former Tiger will be the starter in Week 1. However, Gardner Minshew II is wasting no time and is preparing as if he’s going to compete for the starting job. The 2019 sixth-round pick recently appeared on Green Light with Chris Long and talked about how he has prepared this offseason, via Jamal St. Cyr of WJXT4.

"I’ll say this man, in preparation for the competition, I haven’t taken a sh*t in weeks because number two isn’t an option for me. Number two isn’t an option."

It’s uncertain how this would help Minshew prepare for training camp but it’s refreshing to hear him speak his mind. Regardless of his position on the depth chart, the quarterback enjoys playing football, and every now and then, he drops a gem.

Last season, he landed on the COVID-19/Reserve list and once he got cleared to return to practice, he told the local media he didn’t contract the virus. “It took one look at me, ran the other way”. Earlier this year, he saw a news article about North Korea planning to ban mullets and asked president Joe Biden what they were going to do about it.

Gardner Minshew took the league by surprise in his rookie year.

The former Cougar became a fan favorite when he took over the Jaguars’ starting quarterback job back in 2019. That year, the team gave Nick Foles a four-year deal worth $88 million, believing he would help them become a playoff team. Instead, they got four starts, three touchdowns, and two interceptions out of him.

Without much to lose, the organization then handed the keys of the offense to Minshew. He played surprisingly well as a rookie. Heading into the 2020 season, he was given the chance to keep the starting job for good but couldn’t seize the opportunity. The quarterback struggled with inconsistency and sustained a thumb injury that probably affected his performance. He couldn’t recreate the success he had in his rookie campaign and was benched.

Although Minshew is the clear number two behind Trevor Lawrence, he still holds value. He has starting experience and is entering the third year of his rookie year. He was recently ranked as one of the best backups and could win a few games in case the Clemson product misses time with injuries.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a good one in Gardner Minshew.

Minshew wants a chance to start, and why wouldn’t he? He’s a competitor and the kind of player that achieves success due to hard work and determination. Nevertheless, it doesn’t make sense for the Jaguars to trade him ahead of the 2021 season unless another team loses its starting quarterback. Before this year’s draft, teams inquired about his availability but head coach Urban Meyer said the team had no plans to trade him.

Right now, there’s not much Minshew can do but prepare for the season. He may not see the field in 2021 but if he keeps working on his craft, there’s a chance the team grants his wish to be traded next offseason. Hopefully, he goes to the restroom soon.