“He got drafted in the later rounds and came out, and playing in the National Football League is about taking advantage of your opportunities, and Gardner did that,” Gruden said. “He’s a shining reason why once the opportunity presents itself, you take advantage of it. He did that, and he’s put himself in a great position to take the Jacksonville Jaguars and lead them into the future. He has shown a skillset where he can sit in a pocket, step up, make things happen outside the pocket. He’s accurate, he’s tough and obviously he’s a great leader so he’s got the intangibles you want in a quarterback. Now he’s got to get to know the team, get to know the offense a little bit so we can all gel together.”
Studying the tape from Minshew’s rookie season, it is easy to see why the Jaguars’ coaching staff is excited about his potential. He effectively toed the line between efficient and explosive while posting the highest passer rating (91.2) and fewest interceptions (6) of any rookie quarterback that started more than five games. He set franchise rookie records for passing yards (3,271) and touchdown passes (21) and guided the Jaguars to a 6-6 record in his starts.
As a rhythm passer with a quick release, Minshew quickly worked through his progressions and consistently put the ball in the hands of the Jaguars’ top playmakers. He is comfortable pushing the ball down the field to his vertical pass catchers (D.J. Chark, Chris Conley or Dede Westbrook) or dropping the ball off to his running back (Leonard Fournette) on swings and checkdowns. Minshew’s complete command of the offense is uncommon for a rookie, but it enabled the Jaguars to have balanced distribution among their pass-catchers, with four players logging at least 47 receptions.
No. 15’s athleticism and improvisational playmaking ability also added a dimension to the Jaguars’ offense. He rushed for 344 yards on a variety of impromptu runs, but it was his scramble tosses that helped the unit move the ball in key moments. Minshew’s ability to evade, elude and avoid rushers while keeping his eyes on his targets helped the Jaguars generate big plays and score points.
Most importantly, Minshew won games. And he did it running an offense that wasn’t built specifically for him.
“I think the biggest thing for that position, and we said it last year, is the ability to win games,” Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell said. “And Gardner’s done that throughout his career, whether it was high school, whether it was at Washington State where he won 11 games the year he came out, and last year for us. He’s got an ability to lead a team and win games. … That’s always going to be the No. 1 thing.”
Given a chance to make his mark as a starter with a coordinator intent on building the offense around his game, Minshew could help the Jaguars chalk up more Ws and climb out of the AFC South cellar this season.