Gardner Minshew in the NFL
In the NFL. Photo: Atlanta Falcons, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Quarterback, Washington State (from East Carolina), 2016–⁠18

Gardner Minshew

Number
No. 5
Height
6′2″
Weight
216 lb
Hometown
Brandon, MS
Born
May 16, 1996, in Flowood, Mississippi

Wikipedia readers: about 22,369 a month over the past year

Gardner Minshew played quarterback at East Carolina (2016–⁠17) and Washington State (2018). He won the 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He finished fifth in the 2018 Heisman vote. The Jacksonville Jaguars took Minshew in round 6, No. 178 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
4,776
Passing yards, 2018 (Washington State, 11–⁠2)
Best game
473 yards
Vs. Arizona, week 12, 2018: No. 1 passing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 1
In FBS in passing yards, 2018
Drafted
No. 178
Round 6, 2019 NFL Draft (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Career highs

473passing yards, career highvs. Arizona, 20187touchdown passes, career highvs. Arizona, 2018

Honors

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Passing

Passing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDInt
2016East Carolina11920258.91,3476.784
2017East Carolina17430457.22,1407.0167
2018Washington State46866270.74,7767.2389
Career7611,16865.28,2637.16220

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2016East Carolina20−36−1.807
2017East Carolina18−40−2.207
2018Washington State581192.1412
Career96430.4412

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosHtWt
2016East Carolina5QB
2017East Carolina5QB
2018Washington State5QB6′2″216

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. passAdj. rush
2016East Carolina2210.2549th (n=152)0.2554.439%0.32–
2017East Carolina3210.2344th (n=160)0.2574.440%0.35–
2018Washington State7140.3169th (n=160)0.26224.375%0.430.17

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2018 Washington State 13 games, 4,776 passing yards, 38 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 1atWyomingW 41–⁠193857319312
Sep 8vs.San José StateW 31–⁠034514143232
Sep 15vs.Eastern WashingtonW 59–⁠24455747020−4
Sep 21atUSCL 36–⁠393752344308
Sep 29vs.UtahW 28–⁠243156445310
Oct 6atOregon StateW 56–⁠373040430506
Oct 20vs.OregonW 34–⁠20395132342–
Oct 27atStanfordW 41–⁠384050438304
Nov 3vs.CaliforniaW 19–⁠1335513341112
Nov 10atColoradoW 31–⁠735583352026
Nov 17vs.ArizonaW 69–⁠284355473706
Nov 23vs.WashingtonL 15–⁠2826351520211
Dec 28 ✦vs.Iowa StateW 28–⁠2635492992016
2017 East Carolina 10 games, 2,140 passing yards, 16 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 2vs.James MadisonL 14–⁠3471882013
Sep 9atWest VirginiaL 20–⁠5671313710−3
Sep 16vs.Virginia TechL 17–⁠64113024121−19
Sep 30vs.South FloridaL 31–⁠6113400–
Oct 14atUCFL 21–⁠636126910–
Oct 21vs.BYUW 33–⁠176912120−5
Nov 4atHoustonL 27–⁠52526846331−12
Nov 11vs.TulaneL 24–⁠31255222811−2
Nov 18vs.CincinnatiW 48–⁠203145444405
Nov 25atMemphisL 13–⁠70285435123−7
2016 East Carolina 7 games, 1,347 passing yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Oct 1vs.UCFL 29–⁠471227192121
Oct 8atSouth FloridaL 22–⁠382133220110
Oct 29vs.UConnW 41–⁠324800–
Nov 5atTulsaL 24–⁠45294933610−20
Nov 12vs.SMUL 31–⁠55183017011−4
Nov 19vs.NavyL 31–⁠661625238309
Nov 26atTempleL 10–⁠37213418310−22

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2019 Senior Bowl (South team, lost 24–⁠34).

DrillCombine 2019
Height6′0⅞″
Weight225 lb
Arm length31¾″
Hand size10⅛″
Wingspan74⅜″W
40-yard dash4.97 s
10-yard split1.59 sW
Vertical jump33½″
Broad jump9′8″
3-cone drill7.14 s
20-yard shuttle4.45 s

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

7 seasons, 61 games with a stat; latest team: Arizona Cardinals.

Pro Bowl: 2023

SeasonTeamGCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
2019Jacksonville Jaguars142854703,271216344
2020Jacksonville Jaguars92163272,259165153
2021Philadelphia Eagles341604394121
2022Philadelphia Eagles54476663333
2023Indianapolis Colts163054903,305159100
2024Las Vegas Raiders102033062,01391058
2025Kansas City Chiefs461337012
NFL career611,1001,74211,9876835681

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat. Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams by NFL season: rosters and honors, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

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