Gardner Minshew frustrated, begging for starting job back in Jacksonville
Despite his best efforts, Minshew Mania has been sidelined.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew has missed the Jacksonville Jaguars’ past two games despite being cleared to return after a thumb injury. He will sit behind Mike Glennon for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
He’s not very happy about it.
“It’s so frustrating,” Minshew said Monday, via ESPN. “I pretty much went and begged before the Cleveland game [two weeks ago] to be able to play. It sucks, you know. There’s no way around it.
“I want to be out there. I want to be helping our team, but if helping our team is me being the best No. 2 I can be, then that’s what I’ve got to do right now.”
‘I don’t think Gardner’s 100 percent’
Minshew has racked up more than 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games this season. He hurt his thumb during Jacksonville’s loss to the Houston Texans on Oct. 11, but didn’t tell the team about it until after their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers two weeks later.
That loss in Los Angeles was his last time out on the field.
Coach Doug Marrone first went with rookie Jake Luton, and later replaced him with Glennon. Neither has led the Jags to a win, though Glennon came close on Sunday against the Vikings, despite throwing two interceptions in an overtime defeat in Minnesota.
Before Minshew gets another start in Jacksonville, Marrone said he wants to see a complete and healthy version of the quarterback in practice.
"We talked today and just like I've told him, I just want to see more practice," Marrone said, via ESPN. "I think he's working on his volume and the amount of throws and all of that. Obviously he's cleared medically, but still you want to be able to see those things on the practice field. I just think right now in practice Mike is throwing better and gives us the best chance to win.
"I don't think Gardner's 100 percent as far as his workload, and that's always a concern to me, and I'm trying to understand it. We're both trying to work through it."
Though Minshew is unhappy with the demotion, Marrone insisted that hasn’t been an issue in the locker room.
"We've been having a lot of conversations, so it's not a problem at all," Marrone said, via ESPN. "Whatever he feels he can do what's best for the team, he'll do. He's said that quite a bit. I don't see a problem there. The communication's been fine. I think everything's been up front. I think everything's been talked about. So I feel comfortable with that.
"I think he's trying to do everything he can to get himself back to a point where he feels comfortable and his workload is right."
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