Getty DK Metcalf went off for 177 yards against Darius Slay and the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Gardner Minshew remains on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster with two weeks until the start of training camp. By all accounts, the 26-year-old veteran will serve as Jalen Hurts’ backup this season. Lock it in.
Minshew himself even took to Instagram to announce his triumphant Philly return: “With a fire in his belly and stones in his sack. Philly’d best watch out, cuz Minshew’s comin back!” He saw action in four games during the 2021 campaign, including two starts, while throwing for 439 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 68.3% of his passes along with one interception.
Minshew is a valuable commodity at No. 2 on the depth chart. But rumors continue to persist that the Eagles might try to unload him. Especially after Baker Mayfield was moved to Carolina. The Seattle Seahawks seemed like the perfect fit to land Mayfield after losing starter Russell Wilson this offseason. Now Minshew might be their only remaining option.
That is, if the AFC West team believes Minshew is better than the combination of Geno Smith, Drew Lock and Jacob Eason. Apparently, they don’t.
John P. Gilbert of Field Gulls recently broke down Minshew’s strengths and weaknesses and walked away thinking he wasn’t the answer to their problems. He wrote: “What isn’t up in the air, though, is that the Seahawks aren’t trading for Minshew because they’ve already got their own version on the roster.”
Readers didn’t want to base NFL comparisons based on college production.
So here’s a look at Gardner Minshew comps based on what he’s done in the NFL.
(hint: Geno Smith will not go away)
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Seahawks Interested in 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Seattle has had internal discussions about trading for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Not shocking with Geno Smith currently sitting atop the Seahawks depth chart. And All-Pro receiver DK Metcalf entering the prime of his career.
If the Seahawks wanted to upgrade the quarterback position ahead of training camp, they could do a lot worse than Minshew. Remember, Mayfield was dealt for a conditional draft pick which could turn into either a fourth-rounder or fifth-rounder. That’s a cheap price for an accomplished player with starter’s experience. Minshew checks a lot of the same boxes.
From @SportsCenter with @HannahStormESPN
*Deshaun Watson timeline
*49ers’ hurdles in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade
*Seattle has done its homework on the QB, at least worth watching here.
Meanwhile, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia seems to think the Eagles are done shopping Minshew. The franchise has traditionally valued the backup quarterback position. Nick Foles? A.J. Feeley? Kevin Kolb? Michael Vick? Koy Detmer? Jeff Garcia? Josh McCown? He ranked Minshew No. 24 on a list of the “25 Most Important Players in 2022.”
Zangaro wrote: “If all goes to plan in 2022, the Eagles will make the playoffs and they’ll do so with Minshew on the bench. But it’s never a bad idea to have a backup plan; and Minshew is a pretty good one.”
Nick Sirianni Loves Minshew’s Presence
It’s no secret that Nick Sirianni would prefer to have Gardner Minshew backing up Jalen Hurts in 2022. He needed quality snaps out of him last season and there’s no guarantee Hurts’ surgically repaired ankle makes it through 17 starts. Sirianni talked about how much Minshew’s presence meant to the football team earlier this spring.
“I don’t want to get into anyone else’s business that’s with other teams or anything like that. All I can say is that I value Gardner Minshew very much,” Sirianni told reporters at the Annual League Meeting on March 29. “I’m sure glad that he’s our backup on our football team and I look forward to continuing to work with him.”
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Baker Mayfield Move Stirs Eagles-Seahawks Trade Speculation