Gardner Minshew could soon join Jaguars’ AFC South rival

Although the Jacksonville Jaguars have several roster needs, they don’t have to worry about the quarterback position due to the presence of Trevor Lawrence But other NFL teams aren’t so fortunate and are scrambling to find one. After trading Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders, the Indianapolis Colts belong to that category. This could prompt them to acquire Gardner Minshew.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports recently reported that Indy could pursue Minshew if they can’t land Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. Keep in mind that the Colts aren’t the only team that could call the Philadelphia Eagles to inquire about Minshew and due to the lack of quarterback options in free agency and the draft, he could be in high demand this offseason, and rightfully so.

A sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft, Minshew took over for an inefficient Nick Foles in his rookie campaign and gave the Jags’ offense a spark, completing 60.6 of his passes for 3,271 yards with 21 touchdowns with six interceptions. The former Washington State Cougar struggled in 2020 and was eventually benched in favor of Jake Luton and later Mike Glennon, which played a role in Jacksonville taking quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Minshew competed for the Jaguars’ starting job last season but Lawrence was named the starter and he was promptly shipped to the Eagles, where he proved he can play well, going 39-of-58 for 428 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in two starts. The fact that he’s still a rookie year could entice clubs to trade for him and give him a shot. If he thrives, he could be in for a lucrative deal in next year’s free agency.

Gardner Minshew could haunt back the Jaguars if he joins the Colts.

It took just one season for the Colts to figure out that Carson Wentz wasn’t the answer at quarterback and rather than hope for the best in 2022, they cut the ties with him. Sam Ehlinger is currently the top-signal caller in their depth chart and not a thrilling option to start. Gardner Minshew could come in and become QB1 right off the gate. Sure, he struggled in 2020 but not many things went right for the Jaguars that year and he was hardly the sole reason they went 1-15.

Minshew might not be an upper-echelon quarterback but he is a solid starter and in a league where the demand outweighs the supply, there are several teams that could benefit from his services but the Jaguars should worry about him joining the Colts. There are several things that drive Minshew and revenge might not be at top of his priorities but he won’t probably pass up the chance of showing his former team they made a mistake when they unceremoniously dumped him.

The Jaguars were always going to take Trevor Lawrence but that doesn’t mean they should have traded Gardner Minshew, especially for a sixth-round selection. It would be odd to see Minshew wear a horseshoe on his helmet but he would certainly make things interesting whenever the Jags face off against the Colts.