Jaguars Starting Gardner Minshew In Week 14

Jaguars HC Doug Marrone announced Monday that rookie Gardner Minshew will get the start in Week 14 with Nick Foles heading back to the bench. 

Starting this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/jDDK1ZFAYH

— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) December 2, 2019

Marrone explained that Minshew’s mobility and elusiveness gives them a better chance of winning with the way they’re playing right now.

Jacksonville made the decision to replace Foles with Minshew on Sunday after going into the half down 25-0 to Tampa Bay. 

Foles figures to be an interesting topic to watch for the Jaguars in the offseason. However, he has $15,125,000 of his base salary guaranteed for next year, so it won’t be easy for Jacksonville to move on from him. 

Minshew, 23, was drafted by the Jaguars in the sixth round out of Washington State in the 2019 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $2.7 million and will make base salaries of $495,000 and 585,000 the next two seasons. 

In 2019, Minshew has appeared in 10 games for the Jaguars and completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,432 yards (7.3 YPA), 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also added 243 yards rushing. 

Foles, 30, is a former third-round pick of the Eagles back in 2012. Philadelphia traded Foles to the Rams back in 2015 in a deal for QB Sam Bradford and he later signed an extension with the team.

Foles lasted just over a year with the Rams before he was released and later signed to a two-year, $11 million contract with the Eagles. He was set to make a base salary of $4 million in 2018 when he agreed to a restructured contract this offseason and later bought his free agency by paying back $2 million to the Eagles. 

From there, Foles agreed to a four-year, $88 million contract with the Jaguars that included $50.125 million guaranteed.

In 2019, Foles has appeared in four games for the Jaguars and completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 736 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.