Getty The Buccaneers could sign Eagles QB Gardner Minshew if Tom Brady leaves.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be looking at a potential playoff opponents’ player as their next quarterback.
As predicted by CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, he projects the Buccaneers to land Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Benjamin predicts that Tampa Bay will sign Minshew to compete for the starting quarterback job while Tom Brady departs in free agency for the Miami Dolphins.
Benjamin predicts how the offseason will turn out for multiple quarterbacks who will be free agents or available on the trade block. However, he doesn’t predict Tampa Bay will sign another quarterback or draft one of the major names in the first round of this year’s draft. That would seem to indicate Minshew would compete with either former second-round draft pick Kyle Trask and/or Blaine Gabbert if the Buccaneers choose to re-sign him.
Minshew Has Lengthy History as Starting QB
The 26-year-old quarterback recently started two games for the Eagles, losing both of his starts. His 2022 season stat line is somewhat respectable, averaging 315 passing yards per game while throwing three touchdowns and averaging 8.7 yards per attempt. However, his penchant for turnovers (three interceptions) and sacks (six) is a big reason why Philadelphia lost in both of his starts.
With that being said, Minshew’s overall body of work as a starter is a solid one. The former sixth-round draft pick previously served as the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He has thrown 44 touchdowns versus just 15 interceptions during his career, posting a solid 91.3 passer rating. During his 32 career appearances, he’s started 24 games, going 8-16 in those games.
While Minshew was merely a late-round draft selection, he was a record-breaking quarterback in college. The Washington State alum set single-season Pac 12 records for passing yards (4,776) and completions (468) during his lone season with the Cougars. He was also named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the year in 2018.
By comparison, the Buccaneers’ current backups pale in comparison. Gabbert hasn’t started a game since the 2018 season and washed out Jacksonville as a former draft bust. The 33-year-old Gabbert has gone 13-35 in his career as a starter and has 50 touchdowns versus 47 interceptions.
Meanwhile, the second-year Trask just made his regular season debut in the Bucs’ season finale versus the Atlanta Falcons, going 3-for-9 for 23 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
In other words, Minshew would be an upgrade over the Buccaneers’ current duo of quarterbacks behind Brady.
Minshew is currently playing on a $2.5 million deal with the Eagles as he’s still playing on his rookie contract. Expect the fourth-year veteran to cash in on his experience as a starting quarterback, but he won’t break the bank in doing so.
The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran Marcus Mariota to a two-year, $18.8 million deal to be their starting quarterback this past offseason. It would be fair to assume the Buccaneers would sign Minshew to a similar type of deal to compete for the starting quarterback job.
Brady Predicted to Sign 1-Year, $35 Million Deal With Dolphins
As mentioned earlier, Benjamin projects Brady to land with the Dolphins.
There were previously rumors of Brady looking to join the Dolphins prior to his retirement.
“Retirement is theoretically on the table after Brady, 45, briefly walked away from the game after the 2021 season,” said Benjamin. “But it feels more likely he’ll be back, if only to improve on a mostly plodding 2022, and especially if he has more attractive suitors as a free agent. The fit has to be right, but even as a strictly win-now target, he still offers enough arm talent and elite crunch-time vision to draw interest from around the league. Las Vegas and Tennessee could be on his radar because of connections to ex-Patriots Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel, but Miami stands out as an ideal destination.”
Benjamin predicts the 45-year-old quarterback to sign a one-year contract worth $35 million with the Dolphins.
Considering Brady will have his pick of a number of teams seeking a short-term franchise quarterback — the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders are also potential destinations — it would be of no surprise if the veteran quarterback does leave the Buccaneers this offseason.