Not only are the Philadelphia Eagles the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed, but the franchise also has the best record in the NFL at 13-1 with a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings.
But with three weeks left and Jalen Hurts spraining his right shoulder, could the top seed be in jeopardy? The Eagles now turn to backup QB Gardner Minshew to get them one win over the next three weeks.
This will not be Minshew’s first snaps under center for the Eagles, either. After Hurts suffered an ankle injury late in 2021, Minshew started after the former was sidelined for a week. Let’s take a deeper look into Minshew’s NFL career as he prepares to get revenge for his Week 18 loss to Dallas a season ago.
Teams Gardner Minshew Has Played For
As of 2022, Minshew has played for two NFL teams. Currently, Minshew is playing in his second season with the Eagles.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-2020)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2021-present)
Minshew Mania Takes Over Pullman, Washington
Minshew played for three different teams during his college football career. He started his collegiate career with the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers. The Rangers would win the Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges (MACJC) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championships. For his performance under center, Minshew was named a first-team MACJC All-State Football selection and an NJCAA All-American honorable mention.
After a two-year stop in Greenville, North Carolina, for some intermittent playing time with the East Carolina Pirates, Minshew had one year of eligibility remaining. While he had intended on transferring to Alabama despite not expecting to play, a second suitor swept him off his feet. Former Washington State Cougars HC Mike Leach reportedly called up Minshew and inquired, “You want to come lead the nation in passing?”
The QB’s familiarity with Leach’s Air Raid offense put him above his peers, which elevated him to starter just before the season started. Minshew and Leach meshed perfectly, creating an offensive juggernaut.
The Cougars would go 10-2 in the regular season with a devastating loss in the Apple Cup. Minshew’s performance throughout spawned Heisman Trophy hype, which was renamed Minshew Mania as fans donned the quarterback’s signature mustache. He would finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2018.
Jacksonville Gives Minshew a Chance
Minshew Mania and his Heisman Trophy hype rocketed the QB in the public eye with the 2019 NFL Draft swiftly approaching. Minshew met with all 32 teams, and the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in Round 6 with the 178th pick. While initially slated to be the backup to Nick Foles, Minshew’s plans quickly changed.
In Week 1, against the Chiefs, Foles fractured his left clavicle in the first quarter. Minshew stepped in for his NFL debut, completing 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. In eight starts, Minshew went 4-4 before Foles was finally cleared to play again.
It wouldn’t be long before Jacksonville fans saw Minshew again as Foles struggled mightily in his return. After leading just two touchdown drives in three starts, Foles was benched in Week 13 in favor of Minshew, who would finish out the season winning two more games, earning a 6-6 record in his starts.
In March 2020, the Jaguars traded Foles to the Chicago Bears, signaling their faith in Minshew. That faith was slightly misguided, however, as the QB struggled mightily in 2020.
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After a win in Week 1, Jacksonville would not earn another victory until Week 6 of the 2021 season — 20 consecutive losses. Minshew would start the first seven games of the season but landed on IR after suffering multiple fractures and a strained ligament in his right thumb. He would only play two more games in Jacksonville as the franchise committed to a rebuild.
Minshew Moves to the Backup Role
Jacksonville’s 1-15 record put them in line for the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which they used to select former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. With Lawrence set to become the new starter, what would the Jaguars do with Minshew? A trade came together with Philadelphia in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Outside of a two-attempt appearance against the Lions in Week 8, Minshew would not start a game for Philadelphia until Week 13 of last season. Assuming backup duty to Hurts all season, Minshew’s name was finally called. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 33-18 win over the New York Jets.
Now he prepares for a revenge game after getting shellacked 51-26 by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 in 2021. While he was playing with a second-string offense a season ago, Philadelphia still has a playoff seed at stake in 2022. And this time around, Minshew will get to play with the starters. Be ready for an exciting and hopefully high-scoring game between two top-notch NFC East foes.