Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Gardner Minshew II Among 5 Jaguars Players Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 List

Timothy Rapp

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to the team

Four other Jaguars were given that injury designation—running back Ryquell Armstead, tight end Charles Jones, wide receiver Michael Walker and safety Andrew Wingard. 

Those players will not have a designated timetable for remaining on the list. Instead, they can return to the team once they are medically cleared and pass through the protocols established by the NFL and NFLPA. 

Minshew became the second starting quarterback to be put on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, following Detroit Lions starter Matt Stafford. 

Minshew, 24, heads into the 2020 season as the expected starter, which would make him the third quarterback to start the season for the team in as many years (Blake Bortles in 2018, Nick Foles in 2019). 

Foles didn't last long because of injury, however, and Minshew turned heads when he went 6-6 as the starter and threw for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions, completing 60.6 percent of his passes. He was sacked 33 times and appeared in 14 total games. 

The Washington State product made history along the way, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

"Minshew became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to average 230-plus yards per game, while throwing for more than 20 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a season (according to NFL Research). He's one of only four rookie QBs in NFL chronicle to have more than 20 touchdowns and less than 10 picks (he had six)."

He should have some nice weapons to work with in his sophomore season as well, with a promising receiver group headlined by DJ Chark, Chris Conley and rookie Laviska Shenault Jr., along with veteran running back Leonard Fournette. Expectations are realistic in Jacksonville after back-to-back losing seasons, with the major question surrounding the team being whether Minshew can establish himself as a franchise quarterback. 

While he remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, veteran Mike Glennon will move to the top of the team's depth chart at quarterback. 

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)