Jaguars trade QB Gardner Minshew to Eagles

Minshew Mania is heading to Philly. The Jaguars are trading quarterback Gardner Minshew to the Eagles, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Jacksonville will receive a conditional sixth-round pick. That sixth-round pick could turn into a fifth-round pick if Minshew plays in at least 50-percent of his team’s snaps in three individual games, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

With the Jaguars landing the first-overall pick and can’t-miss prospect Trevor Lawrence, Minshew found himself in the rumor mill for much of the offseason. The organization naturally wanted to see what they had in Lawrence before making a hasty decision on their other signal caller, but the writing was on the wall when coach Urban Meyer announced Lawrence as the Week 1 starter. While Minshew would have been a reliable contingency plan in the event of an injury to Lawrence, the Jaguars were apparently looking to cash in on their number-two quarterback as soon as possible. Today’s move means C.J. Beathard will slide in as Lawrence’s backup.

While Minshew probably would have been the definitive backup in Jacksonville, he’ll now find himself third on the depth chart in Philly. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, today’s trade has done nothing to shake up the Eagles depth chart, as starter Jalen Hurts and backup Joe Flacco have solid holds on their jobs. 

So, as Rapoport notes, the Eagles are acquiring Minshew as a reclamation project/developmental piece, with the reporter noting that the front office loves to “collect and develop talent at the most important position.” In fact, the team considered using a late-round pick on a developmental quarterback during the 2021 draft. Instead, they used a 2022 late-round pick on a 25-year-old with 23 games of experience.

Considering his production, Minshew could find himself eventually climbing the depth chart in Philadelphia. The team committed more than $3M to Flacco, so it’s most likely that the team carries three quarterbacks for much of the season. Minshew has cap number of $898K in 2021 and $1.01M in 2022, providing the Eagles with a low-cost option as they try to get clarity on their quarterback situation in 2021.

Minshew transformed from a little-known, 2019 sixth-round pick into a sensation during his rookie campaign. Filling it for Nick Foles, Minshew ended up starting 12 of his 14 games, completing 60.6-percent of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He also guided the Jaguars to a 6-6 record during his 12 starts. 

The Jaguars took a clear step back in 2020, but Minshew still put up solid numbers. While Jacksonville went only 1-7 in Minshew’s eight starts, the quarterback completed 66.1-percent of his passes for 2,259 yards, 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He’s also shown some versatility outside of the passing game, collecting 497 rushing yards on 96 career carries.