Where Does Gardner Minshew’s Rookie Season Rank Compared to Past Jaguars Rookie Passers?

How did Gardner Minshew perform as a rookie compared to Byron Leftwich, Blaine Gabbert, and Blake Bortles?

2019 was certainly a difficult year for the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the team having to deal with a 6-10 record, a last place AFC South finish, and the jettisoning of the team's top player in cornerback Jalen Ramsey. 

But the year could have been even harder to watch if not for the emergence of rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II. Minshew was far from perfect and lost just as much as he won, but he gave the Jaguars something exciting to trot out on the field on most Sundays. 

While Jaguars fans knew the odds to win any given game were low, they could hang their hats on the prospects of Minshew outperforming his sixth-round pedigree most weeks. Fans typically flock defend and support rookie passers, specifically first-round quarterbacks, but for Minshew to get that kind of support so quickly as a late-round passer who was supposed to be Nick Foles' backup is noteworthy.

Minshew was the fourth Jaguars' rookie passer to start double-digit games in team history, and he is the only one who wasn't a first-round pick. Those before him were Byron Leftwich (selected seventh overall in 2003), Blaine Gabbert (selected 10th overall in 2011), and Blake Bortles (selected third overall in 2014). 

This means Minshew was the first-ever Jaguars rookie passer to get a chance without being tabbed as the future of the franchise from the day he was drafted. Leftwich, Gabbert, and Bortles were all groomed from the second the Jaguars turned in the draft card with their name on it, and the expectations were higher for each of them because of it.

How did Minshew's rookie year compare to those three, and what could it mean for his future? We take a trip down memory lane and examine:

Gardner Minshew's rookie season (14 games, 12 starts)

• 285/470 passing (60.64%). 3,271 yards passing.
• 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.
• 91.2 quarterback rating.
• 6.96 yards per attempt.
• 7.28 adjusted yards per attempt.
• 67 rushes for 344 yards.
• 13 fumbles (seven lost).
• 1.5 touchdown passes per game. 
• 0.4 interceptions per game.
• 233.6 passing yards per game.
• 6-6 record as a starter.

Byron Leftwich's rookie season (15 games, 13 starts)

• 239/418 passing (57.2%). 2,819 yards passing.
• 14 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
• 73.0 quarterback rating.
• 6.7 yards per attempt. 
• 5.7 adjusted yards per attempt. 
• 25 rushes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. 
• 11 fumbles (six lost). 
• 0.93 touchdown passes per game. 
• 1.066 interceptions per game. 
• 187.9 passing yards per game.
• 5-8 record as starter. 

Blaine Gabbert's rookie season (15 games, 14 starts)

• 210/413 passing (50.8%). 2,214 yards passing. 
• 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
• 65.4 quarterback rating.
• 5.4 yards per attempt.
• 4.7 adjusted yards per attempt.
• 48 rushes for 98 yards.
• 14 fumbles (eight lost).
• 0.80 touchdown passes per game.
• 0.73 interceptions per game.
• 147.6 passing yards per game.
• 4-10 record as starter. 

Blake Bortles' rookie season (14 games, 13 starts)

• 280/475 passing (58.9%). 2,908 yards passing.
• 11 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
• 69.5 quarterback rating.
• 6.1 yards per attempt.
• 5.0 adjusted yards per attempt.
• 56 rushes for 419 yards.
• Seven fumbles (one lost).
• 0.785 touchdown passes per game.
• 1.21 interceptions per game.
• 207.7 passing yards per game.
• 3-10 record as starter. 

When looking at these numbers, it is easy to point out the obvious: Minshew was easily the best rookie quarterback in Jaguars' history. 

Compared to the three first-round passers who donned teal and black before him, Minshew threw for more yards, more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, more yards per game, more yards per attempt, most adjusted yards per attempt, and the best record. He did all of this in fewer games than the others, blowing their numbers out of the water despite having fewer opportunities to do so.

Considering the Jaguars never selected Minshew to be a starter in 2019, it is a bit staggering that he was so much better than every other Jaguars rookie quarterback. Leftwich, Gabbert, and Bortles were all tabbed as the next franchise quarterbacks, while Minshew played like the one with the most potential to maybe become one. 

Lefwich went on to have an average career with the Jaguars, albeit never living up to his draft slot, while Gabbert and Bortles were each draft busts. For Minshew to not have similar numbers to any of them is a positive sign for the Jaguars moving forward. 

Context is needed when looking at these numbers, but it doesn't take away from how much better Minshew was, and the fact that he won more games. The 2003, 2011, and 2014 Jaguars' offenses all lacked talent in some fashion, though Leftwich still had Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith at his disposal. Leonard Fournette and DJ Chark both would have been the best offensive players on the team in Gabbert's and Bortles' rookie season though, so an argument can be made that Minshew had more help around him.

Only time will tell if Minshew can develop into the Jaguars' long-term answer at quarterback. But if his rookie season is any indication, he may at least have a better shot at being that answer than any of Leftwich, Gabbert, or Bortles.