Gardner Minshew has not changed one bit and should be loved for that

It was clear that Gardner Minshew’s days as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars were numbered as soon as Trevor Lawrence was selected first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Although the mustachioed quarterback no longer dons the Black and Teal, he’s still the same player that took the league by storm in 2019.

Throughout his NFL career, Minshew has often gotten the spotlight for his peculiar personality and he did it once again this offseason when he decided to live in a prison bus as part of his training regime ahead of the 2022 season.

Tim McManus of ESPN recently wrote a feature article on Minshew and why he chose to live in a bus this offseason. The whole thing is worth reading but basically, the Washinton State Cougar wants to be ready for what could be a ‘Super Bowl or bust‘ year for him and he felt that living on a bus gave him the best chance.

After landing in Philly last year, Minshew spent most of the 2021 campaign on the sidelines. However, he shined when he was given a chance. He appeared in four games with two starts and completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 439 with four touchdowns and one interception.

Minshew is firmly entrenched as the Eagles’ backup quarterback behind Jalen Hurts. But he’s set to become a free agent next year and he ends up getting any playing time, regardless of how much or little it is, he wants to be ready.

Gardner Minshew makes it hard to dislike his approach to football

Heading into the 2020 season, Minshew seemed to be on his way to NFL stardom after having a promising rookie campaign. Unfortunately, the 2019 sixth-round pick failed to seize any momentum he had and came crashing down, which played a role in the Jaguars’ decision to draft Lawrence.

Looking back, Minshew wasn’t put in a position to succeed in Jacksonville, so it wasn’t particularly shocking to see him shine when he got the starting nod in the City of Brotherly Love. Although he might not see the football field in 2022, it’s good to know he’s still the same quarterback that played for the Jaguars.

In case you forgot, he became a trend on social media when he got a new haircut. Also, he became the talk of the town last offseason when he said he hadn’t gone to the bathroom ahead of the “quarterback competition” with Lawrence. Similarly, he said the COVID-19 virus took a look at him and ran away.

What makes Minshew so refreshing is that it doesn’t look like he’s making an effort to take center stage and everything he says and does looks genuine. Even though he embraces his personality but he’s not going around social media trying to convince everyone how different he is.

Many Jaguars fans would have surely loved to see Gardner Minshew stick around in Jacksonville. But his trade to the Eagles benefited him and Jacksonville. He got a fresh start and the Jags got their quarterback of the future in Lawrence, so you could argue that it was a win/win situation for both parties.