Getty Seahawks general manager John Schneider (left) and head coach Pete Carroll appear to have won the Russell Wilson trade.
The Seattle Seahawks are running out of time to find their starting quarterback for the upcoming season. Neither Geno Smith and Drew Lock has run away the competition during the preseason. Lock was slated to start the Seahawks’ second preseason game against the Bears before testing positive for COVID-19 prompting Seattle to have to call an audible during the competition.
Smith has started both preseason matchups with mixed results, while Lock is expected to start against the Cowboys on Friday, August 26. Even with Lock being cleared to play, there is no guarantee the quarterback is back at full strength after being hit hard with COVID. These factors opens up a potential opportunity for the Seahawks to make a trade to add another quarterback to the competition.
The Eagles have continued to back Jalen Hurts as their quarterback of the future which could make veteran Gardner Minshew expendable. Philadelphia acquired Minshew from the Jaguars for a conditional sixth-round pick in a 2021 trade, and it is hard to imagine the Eagles landing much more for the quarterback in a new deal. Landing Minshew for a future day-three pick is a small price to pay for the Seahawks to get an upgrade at quarterback.
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Minshew Has Made 22 NFL Starts
Gardner Minshew’s first TD of the day was an absolute dime 🎯
(via @NFL)
Minshew brings with him plenty of NFL experience including 22 starts over his three pro seasons. The veteran spent his first two years as the Jaguars starting quarterback before the team selected Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Jacksonville opted to move on from Minshew last offseason by trading the quarterback to Philadelphia.
Minshew has proven to be a more than capable quarterback during his three NFL seasons and would add playmaking ability to the Seahawks offense. The quarterback’s best season came his rookie year in 2019 when Minshew posted 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 60.6% of his passes.
Minshew also added 344 rushing yards proving to also be a threat with his legs. The playmaker earned a 70.5 grade from Pro Football Focus for his rookie season.
Minshew Petitioned the Eagles to Be the Team’s Starting QB in 2021
Gardner Minshew put it on the money for his first TD pass as an Eagle 💰
(via @NFL)
Last season, Minshew met with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni to campaign to be the team’s starting quarterback. Siranni confirmed that Hurts had a full grasp of the QB1 spot but detailed why Minshew remains a valuable quarterback.
“I will say about Gardner, he is a competitor and he’s locked in whether he is the backup, whether he’s playing, right?” Sirianni explained during a January 6 press conference. “He’s been in both scenarios this year with the Jets game, playing in that game, not knowing if he was playing until late in that week. The guy’s going to prepare like crazy, no matter what the situation and he’s competitive.
“Every backup that we have on this team, if they didn’t want to be the starter, I’d have an issue with them being the backup. And so, Gardner has played a lot of football in this league. I got a lot of confidence in him that he’s our backup. …We always talk about wanting your backup quarterback to be able to come in and function and give you a chance to win. And we saw that he gave us [that], he was awesome in the game that he played against the Jets and so I would be disappointed if Gardner didn’t want to be the starter but obviously Jalen’s our starter.”
The Seahawks Are Unlikely to Make a QB Trade
Gardner Minshew is better than at least 5 starting QBs
The Seahawks have been reluctant to make a trade for another quarterback, instead opting to give Lock and Smith a chance to take control of the offense. Even if the Seahawks do not make a preseason move, Minshew could be a name to watch as a potential candidate for a mid-season trade. Minshew has a reasonable $2.5 million salary and will be a free agent in 2023.
“Honestly, we’re going to keep looking and seeing what’s available but only to help our club and try to make us better,” Carroll noted during a May 5 interview on Seattle KJR’s “The Ian Furness Show.” “If the case presents itself, we’re going to be ready for it.”