The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded quarterback Gardner Minshaw II for the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2022 sixth-round conditional pick, it was announced Saturday.
Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that a sixth-round pick could extend to a fifth-rounder if Minshu is involved in 50% of plays in three games this season.
The move comes after Jaguars coach Urban Mayer announced on Wednesday that top overall pick Trevor Lawrence has won the starting job and will be center for the first season against Texas on September 12 in Houston.
Minshaw, who alternated practice days with a first-team offense with Lawrence at training camp, scored 29 for 196 yards with two interceptions (one in the end zone) in two preseason games. Completed 17 passes.
CJ Beathard is now the top backup spot behind Lawrence. Beathard has completed 22 of 30 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns in two games.
Minshaw joins an Eagles QB room that includes Jalen Hirts and veteran Joe Flacco. The Eagles released Nick Mullens after the trade was announced. Minshu is initially expected to be in third place on the depth chart, behind Hurts and Flacco.
The Eagles see the acquisition of Minshoo as a low-risk move. The compensation is equivalent to what was spent on the developmental quarterback in the draft. Instead, they get a QB with 20 NFLs who can play in a pinch when called - a high priority amid the coronavirus pandemic when players who test positive or have close contact can be sidelined with little notice . With two years remaining on his rookie contract and a salary of $850,000 this season, Minshoo is also relatively cheap.
Minshaw replaced an injured Nick Foles as a rookie in 2019 and was brought back as a starter by the Jags later that season after Foles struggled. It landed him a starting job in 2020, and he started the first seven games of the season before a thumb injury - one he had previously hidden from the coaching staff - put him on the bench.
Minshu returned to the field in December for two games, but ended the season on the bench. Following a 1–15 record, the Jaguars hired Meyer and drafted Lawrence, the fan-anointed savior of the franchise.
For his career, Minshew has completed 501 of 797 passes for 5,530 yards with 37 TDs and 11 interceptions.