Urban Meyer Shares Honest Admission On Gardner Minshew Trade
The Jacksonville Jaguars officially named No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence as the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season earlier this week. The rookie’s primary competition, Gardner Minshew, was then traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he projects to have a better chance at playing time.
Minshew became somewhat of a fan favorite for his likable personality and gutsy play on the field. He also earned the respect of his old head coach Urban Meyer.
So much so in fact, that the first-year Jaguars coach was sad to see his quarterback go.
“I was a little choked up when I saw him in that office,” Meyer said of the Minshew trade after the Jaguars preseason finale on Sunday, via Demetrius Harvey of Sports Illustrated.
Meyer and Minshew had developed a bond throughout their first preseason together this summer. The Jaguars head coach was happy to build that bond, considering he wasn’t sure how much the 25-year-old quarterback would embrace his role with a No. 1 overall pick coming into the building.
But Minshew won over Meyer throughout training camp only to be traded before the NFL’s deadline for final roster cuts. The Jaguars received a conditional sixth-round pick in return.
"I was a little choked up when I saw him in that office." #Jaguars HC Urban Meyer talking about Gardner Minshew II trade.
He mentioned he wasn't sure at first how much he wanted to be there at the start, team drafted a No. 1 overall QB.
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) August 29, 2021
In Philadelphia, Minshew will actually come in as the third quarterback on the depth chart. Second-year man Jalen Hurts holds the starting job and former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco has a hold on the back-up job. Minshew will get the chance to develop his skills without pressure and maybe slowly work his way up the rotation.
Meanwhile, Meyer and the Jaguars have put all of their support behind Lawrence. The former Clemson star must’ve gained some renewed confidence from the move, because he showed out in Jacksonville’s final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, throwing for 139 yards and two touchdowns with just one incompletion.
In two weeks, Lawrence will take the field for his first NFL regular season game against the Houston Texans.
The post Urban Meyer Shares Honest Admission On Gardner Minshew Trade appeared first on The Spun.
