PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 19: Gardner Minshew #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
If Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson remains questionable, there are 3 NFL quarterbacks who could wield the starting role until Wilson’s return.
Russell Wilson has never missed a single NFL game.
Not since 2012, not for 149 regular season games, and not for 16 playoff appearances.
The only thing that could take Russ off the field is an injury — and it just so happens to be a badly-sprained finger.
Unlike most NFL players, Wilson has had an incredibly long stretch of healthy starts, which is why seeing him sidelined is a shock to Seattle fans.
The Seahawks were prepared for a situation like this, which is why veteran journeyman quarterback Geno Smith picked up where Wilson left off in Week 5. Smith’s reputation as a Jet and Giant precedes him unfairly, as Smith is talented and his coaches and teammates believe in him.
Even if Wilson is out for weeks, it seems like Smith has the starting job on lock in his place — but there are a few NFL quarterbacks floating around on rosters who would also be capable Wilson replacements.
Here are three NFL quarterbacks who should be starting somewhere, and Seattle could be that landing spot.
Gardner Minshew
In the height of Minshew Mania, it was hard to imagine that the sixth-round savior of the Jacksonville Jaguars would be cruelly dealt away.
Even though Minshew didn’t repeat his 2019 performance last year, he has had “the largest return on investment of any Jaguars quarterback in the past decade”, according to Sports Illustrated’s Gus Logue. In fact, Minshew’s stats were even better when compared to his 2019 season, but the sixth-round stigma and failing organization dealt Minshew an extraordinarily bad hand.
Over his 23 games with the Jaguars, Minshew completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. After a phenomenal 2019 season, Minshew was graded by PFF as one of the top red zone passers.
Instead of sticking with Minshew and facilitating his growth, new Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer traded Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he is buried on the depth chart beneath Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco.
Hurts has had a historic performance for his first eight NFL starts, and Flacco is a seasoned veteran: it’s hard to imagine any situation where Minshew sets foot on the green.
Instead, the Eagles could trade Minshew to the Seahawks for draft capital or a current player they need, a move that could pay in dividends if Minshew can bring the mania to Seattle.