‘I’m all-in trying to win’: Gardner Minshew goes from looking to free agency to holding the Eagles’ playoff future in his hands

On Thursday, Gardner Minshew was just a backup quarterback overcoming the urge to daydream about his forthcoming free agency and getting the opportunity to start.

“You can’t help but think about it,” Minshew said. “But it doesn’t do you any good right now. We’ve still got a lot of ball here. And I’m all-in here trying to win.”

And all-in, as in under center, is likely what the Eagles will need Minshew to be after Jalen Hurts sprained his right shoulder at Chicago on Sunday. And they likely will need him to try to win at Dallas if they are to claim the NFC East crown and secure the No. 1 seed in the playoffs on Saturday with two games to spare.

» READ MORE: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts could miss next two games with sprained shoulder, NFL sources say

Coach Nick Sirianni didn’t rule out Hurts on Tuesday. The Eagles only had a walk-through, but they listed the quarterback as a non-participant based on an estimation had the team practiced. Minshew was excused so that he could attend the memorial service for Mike Leach, his former Washington State coach who died from a heart condition last week.

He spoke at the event in Mississippi, but the Eagles expected him to return later in the day.

“He’s what you want out of your backup quarterback,” Sirianni said, “to be ready with limited reps.”

Minshew has been in similar circumstances before. He filled in for Hurts (ankle sprain) last December against the New York Jets as the Eagles chased a playoff berth. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-18 victory.

After the game, Minshew went to Sirianni and asked what it would take for him to become the full-time starter. But the coach went back to Hurts, who was coming off his worst game of the season vs. the New York Giants, the following week.

Hurts guided the Eagles to the postseason, despite the lingering ankle injury, and Minshew went back to having to cope with watching. This season, he has been on the sideline plenty with Hurts playing at an MVP level and the team 13-1. But the 26-year-old said he has adjusted more to being the backup.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m doing better with it this year than last year,” Minshew said last week. “It was the first time in my life. Everybody goes through it at some point. It was kind of hard, but we have such a great relationship in the quarterback room. … It’s fun. It feels like a group effort.

“They’re giving me stuff to do and work on and I feel like I’m getting better.”

If that’s the case, Minshew should have more than enough to handle the reins. His supporting cast is strong with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, a pair of No. 1-caliber wide receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and a 1,000-yard running back in Miles Sanders. And tight end Dallas Goedert will be back in the lineup after missing five games with a shoulder injury.

The Eagles have had one of the best offensive schemes in the league and rank second in Football Outsiders’ DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metrics. Last week, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons downplayed Hurts’ performance this season and said he was more a product of a potent system.

But the system has been designed around Hurts’ dual-threat abilities. Minshew doesn’t have comparable mobility and thus the offense will have to be tweaked to his skill set. Sanders, who rushed 24 times for 120 yards last season against the Jets, will likely get more than the 11 carries he got in Chicago.

“It’s been a great opportunity to learn from a different perspective,” Minshew said of playing behind Hurts. “I’ve learned a lot from what Jalen’s doing and the progress he’s made. And it’s fun to win. At the end of the day, that’s what we all want to do.”

Asked about Minshew’s progress last week, Sirianni said that he has gotten more meaningful practice repetitions this year since the Eagles added a short period that pits the backups vs. the starters. The plays are unscripted rather than the normal scout-team drills.

There is also a developmental seven-on-seven period after practice that Sirianni said he calls the “Gardner Minshew” drill because he believes it helped prepare the quarterback for the Jets game a year ago.

“We’ve seen Gardner play,” Sirianni said. “We all know how Gardner is.”

Minshew, a 2019 sixth-round draft pick by Jacksonville, started in 20 games over his first two seasons in the NFL. The Jaguars went only 7-13 in those contests, but he put up strong numbers, completing 63% of his throws and tossing 37 touchdown passes against just 11 interceptions for a 93.1 passer rating.

“Minshew Mania” became a bit of a minor phenomenon during his rookie season.

But Jacksonville drafted Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 and traded Minshew to the Eagles just before the season. Some suggested that general manager Howie Roseman might try to flip him for a draft pick, but no one understands the importance of the backup spot more.

» READ MORE: What to know about Eagles backup QB Gardner Minshew, from ‘Minshew Mania’ to living in a van to wanting to break his own hand

In 2017, Nick Foles stepped in for starter Carson Wentz, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 13, and won a championship. Foles was up and down initially but was nearly flawless in the NFC championship and Super Bowl LII and was named Super Bowl MVP.

Hurts could miss two games, NFL sources said. While his injury isn’t expected to be a long-term one, there isn’t an exact timetable for his return. It’s possible he isn’t in uniform until the divisional round of the playoffs the weekend of Jan. 21-22, especially if the Eagles claim the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye sometime in the next two games.

Minshew also has a chance to improve his stock.

“I think a high tide raises all ships,” he said Thursday. “I think when you win, it elevates everybody. So, I think, just being a part of something so special here is a great thing for me and I just want to continue to learn as much as I can from it.”

» READ MORE: Gardner Minshew on Mike Leach: He ‘changed my life.’ The Eagles QB reflects on the late coach.

Last week, an emotional Minshew spoke about Leach. He said his former coach, in their last correspondence, told him “to keep plugging.”

“He always believed that when I’d get a chance, I’d do well,” Minshew said.

He just wants a chance, his father, Flint, said during an appearance on “SuperTalk Mississippi” last week.

“It’s in his heart to play,” the elder Minshew said. “And he’ll be a free agent after this year and, obviously, he’ll hit that market. And his agent knows, look, it’s not all about money, it’s about an opportunity to go somewhere and compete for a job.

“That’s all he ever wants — to compete.”

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 16 game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday at 3 p.m. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday