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Eagles Trade Rumors: Gardner Minshew to Draw Looks; Panthers Eyed Before Cam Newton
December 12, 2021
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew is expected to be a commodity on the trade market this offseason.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Minshew's impressive Week 13 performance opened eyes around the league, and the Eagles will likely field several calls from quarterback-needy teams. Minshew completed 20 of his 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in last Sunday's win over the New York Jets.
The Carolina Panthers are expected to be among the teams to express interest, having already contacted the Eagles ahead of the 2021 trade deadline.
The Eagles added Minshew for the bargain-basement price of a conditional 2022 sixth-round pick ahead of the regular season to serve as a backup behind Jalen Hurts. Minshew's performance last week was more than enough by itself to justify the opportunity cost, which was a shocking sell-low on the part of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"It felt so good, man. It's the best time I've had since Week 1 of last year. There's nothing like that feeling," Minshew told reporters after last week's 33-18 win over the Jets. "Glad to do it with this group of guys. They made it easy for me."
Rapoport's report said teams around the NFL view Minshew as a potential bridge starter or, at the very least, a high-quality backup. The Washington State product emerged as a surprisingly solid option for the Jaguars in 2019 and 2020 after being a sixth-round pick in 2019. His career quarterback rating of 94.4 would rank among the best in NFL history if he had enough attempts to qualify.
While no one would rank Minshew among the NFL's best quarterbacks, he's certainly a better option than some of the players taking snaps every Sunday.
