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Gardner Minshew believes he helped his team win ‘better than any rookie quarterback’ in the NFL this season
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Gardner Minshew may have been a sixth-round draft pick, but that didn’t stop him from making an impact as a rookie.
After throwing for over 4,700 yards at Washington State in 2018, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Minshew late in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was expected to be a backup to Nick Foles, but an early injury saw Minshew start 12 games as a rookie.
Minshew’s numbers were definitely inconsistent as a rookie. However, he did throw for 21 touchdowns against just six interceptions and led the Jaguars to a 6-6 record in his starts.
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On Monday, Minshew was asked about his numbers compared to other rookie quarterbacks. Most notably, he was asked about those drafted ahead of him.
He made it clear that he felt his numbers were “better” than some of the first-round picks. Minshew also went on to say that he helped his team to win better than any other rookie QB as evidenced by his rookie-best six wins.
Michael David Smith with Pro Football Talk shared Minshew’s comments:
“I think the biggest thing to me is helping my team win, and I did that better than any rookie quarterback,” he said. “You kind of can’t help but compare yourself to those guys, especially when they get taken before you. You kind of always have that chip. I still remember guys who got offered to schools I wanted to go to, and I didn’t get those opportunities.”
When it comes to Dwayne Haskins, he was only afforded the opportunity to start seven games this season. While he did throw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, it should be noted that Haskins played much better over his final two starts. It is also true that Washington was operating with a worse defense than Jacksonville.
Minshew undoubtedly had a strong rookie season. However, time will tell which 2019 QB has the better overall career.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.