It looks like the Minshew Mania movement has slowed to a grinding halt at the moment.
On Tuesday Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone announced that the team would be going back to veteran quarterback Nick Foles, who seemingly is 100 percent now.
Foles was injured in the Jags’ regular season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs Week 1 after Chris Jones brought him down on his clavicle, breaking it and sending the veteran to injured reserve. Afterward, Jaguars rookie quarterback Garnder Minshew II would go on to replace him for the rest of the game, completing 22-of-25 passes for 275 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Minshew finished his run with a 4-4 record as a starter and has garnered a few accolades along the way, starting with six Pepsi Rookie of the Week awards. Statistically, he will head back to the bench with a 61 percent completion percentage, 2,285 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.
While Minshew has had a nice season, the decision to go back to Foles was met with some positive feedback from the Jaguars’ locker room. Jaguars defensive lineman and team captain Calais Campbell was one of many veterans to voice his support for the move, stating that Foles has all the leadership qualities needed to help get the Jags back on track.
“He’s a great leader,” Campbell said to the Jags official site. “I think he’s going to give us the opportunity to win a lot of games.”
Jaguars wide receiver and former Chiefs teammate of Foles, Chris Conley, also praised the leadership abilities of the veteran in an interview on the Jags official page.
“We’re excited for the opportunity of him [Foles] being back in the huddle. He’s a guy a lot of guys enjoy playing with, but the huge thing that this team is echoing is that it’s grateful for the effort and the play of Gardner Minshew – him coming out there, helping us win and keeping this season alive.”
The former Super Bowl MVP and current Jaguars team captain will have his work cut out for him as it looks like he’ll need to garner at least six more wins before the end of the season. Regardless as to if anyone feels that doable, he at least has the support of his teammates, which speaks volumes about his leadership skills.
