Minshew Mania has taken over The Grand Canyon State. And as every fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars already knows, the Arizona Cardinals are in for a bumpy ride.
For those who don't pay attention to the NFC West, the Cards started the season in a state of transition. The franchise hired a new head coach, Mike LaFleur, and drafted Mandarin High School alum Carson Beck in the third round out of Miami. Because of that, they wanted as much stability as possible and did what they could to get Jacoby Brissett under center before Week 1.
However, Brissett's time as the captain of Arizona's ship has run out. LaFleur and his staff gave the longtime vet a slew of chances to have a Sam Darnold-like run of his own, but it just wasn't meant to be.
Former Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew has a shot to rise from the ashes
It's fitting that the Cardinals play 10 miles outside of Phoenix, as things looked quite bleak before Arizona's majestic, mustached firebird entered the game to save the day and, quite possibly, the season.
Minshew took over for Brissett with only 1:35 left in the third quarter and led Arizona's offense to four touchdown drives before the end of regulation. Once they got to overtime, the Cardinals were able to do just enough to kick a game-winning field goal and shock the Dallas Cowboys with a 33-30 final.
In a surprising turn, LaFleur decided to trust his instincts and quickly announced that No. 15 would be Arizona's new QB1 moving forward. Beck will be the QB2 and might get some playing time himself if the situation calls for it.
Isn't this a blog that covers the Jaguars?
Yes, dear reader, it is. BUT, it's also a blog about Jaguars history as well.
Minshew came to Jacksonville as a sixth-round pick back in 2019. He showed his flair for stepping up when NFL teams needed him most by filling in for Nick Foles after the latter suffered an injury during the Jaguars' 2019 season opener.
It was ironic since the former Washington State Cougar's quality of play that season made it look like he was the QB the Jags had been looking for instead of Foles. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case at all. His inability to lead a struggling franchise to more than one win in 2020 gave Jacksonville the opportunity to draft Trevor Lawrence with the first-overall pick of the 2021 draft.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Like most Jags who find a way to keep playing ball after leaving town, Minshew's played for a lot of teams. His work for the Indianapolis Colts earned him a Pro Bowl nod and had the Blue Ponies one play away from winning the AFC South. Since then, however, he's struggled to find the same magic.
In a different timeline, Minshew would've played for the Jaguars this season
Ironically, his first stop as a former Jaguar was Philadelphia. Jacksonville traded Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles after C.J. Beathard showed he was a better fit for the QB2 job in the Urban Meyer Era.
If fate wanted things differently, Minshew might have been the signal caller facing the Jags in London instead of Jalen Hurts. Reports claimed that Hurts wasn't playing at 100 percent when he took the field overseas, and a stronger backup QB might have given the organization more confidence to sit him down.
Alas, things played out the way they did.
Unless the Cardinals and Jags pull off a bona fide football miracle and see each other in the Super Bowl, Minshew won't get a chance to face off against his former team in 2026. Then again, if that's what it takes to see Uncle Rico throw a moon ball over a mountain in Calabasas, it's a price I'm willing to pay.
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