JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gardner Minshew is entering into his second season in the NFL very differently than his first go around.
This time last year, he seemed to be firmly cemented as Nick Foles' back up.
Now? Foles is gone and Minshew is the man in charge.
"It didn't change anything that I do," said Minshew of the team deciding to stick with him as the starter and not pick a big name up in the off season. "Still going to work the same way, still going to lead the same way. I had conversations with Dave Caldwell. I told him, 'You do what you think is best for this team.' I believe I'm going to give us the best chance to win no matter what. I've just got to prove that every day, and I'm excited for the opportunity to be able to prove that."
There was some controversy this off season with Minshew caused by a fellow Jags' teammate in the backfield. Leornard Fournette said in a since deleted Instagram post that he wanted free agent quarterback Cam Newton to join the team.
When asked if the hype he's received in this off season feels validating or pressures him more, Gardner said the only opinions that matter are those of his teammates.
"What I care about is when guys on our team come and tell me they're behind me, and they believe in me," said the former WSU quarterback. "When I feel like I've earned the respect of those guys, that's the opinions I really care about. I think as long as I have that we're going to build this thing together, and I think it's going to be very exciting."
When asked in a follow up if he feels like he has respect, Gardner answered, "Yeah, I think we're definitely getting there."
Minshew, Fournette, and the whole offensive unit are learning a new offense this year under first year coordinator Jay Gruden. Minshew feels he's particularly prepared to learn a new offense remotely, in part due to his time before he came to Pullman.
"When I was at Washington State this was kind of a similar thing. I wasn't there in the spring so I had to do a lot of it on my own as well," said the former Pac-12 player of the year. "I think just the more that you have to do it-- which I think I learned five offenses in four years in college which that doesn't even make sense, but that was the truth-- I think just learning how you learned best, I think that experience helped me as I move into more complicated NFL offenses."
Minshew did let the media in on how his team is preparing without taking physical reps.
"On Microsoft Teams there's an application in it called White Board, so you're basically on a group call. I'll call out a play and whoever's in for that play will just draw their assignment. We just kind of go around and talk about it, 'Alright, what are you thinking here? What do you like against cover 2? How you running this?' It's one thing to learn it on paper, but to hear the call and know what to do right there? I think it's been a good way kind of making the best of a bad situation," he said.
Unfortunately though, Minshew and his offense are not exactly touted among the league's best coming into the season. Naturally, Gardner is using that as motivation.
"I think it should put a chip on everybody's shoulder on our team being kind of counted out like that. I think we do have a lot to prove. Prove that we're not what anybody says about us. The only people who's opinions matter is who's in that huddle, who's on that team. I think we're going to set those expectations for ourselves and not worry about what anybody else has to say about us," he said.
Something that does have high expectation no matter what is Gardner's hair situation. His Zoom call with the media on Thursday revealed that he has ditched the stache and is sporting a full quarantine beard.
He's back at home in Brandon, Mississippi right now, so there was one thing that had to get chopped.
"My mom was getting mad because I hadn't got my hair cut in a year so she had somebody come to the house to cut my hair. It was affecting her more than it was affecting me," said Minshew with a chuckle.