7 free-agent quarterbacks the Vikings could sign in 2023
By Nik Edlund
Gardner Minshew
2022 Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Gardner Minshew is on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to backup quarterbacks in the NFL. He doesn’t have elite physical traits, but the guy loves football and will give it his all every time he steps foot on the field.
Minshew plays balls out, and there isn’t a throw he’s afraid to attempt. He’s got plenty of experience starting 24 career games. In those games, he’s thrown for over 6,600 yards with 44 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. That is a quarterback rating of 93.1.
Minshew also comes across as a guy who is extremely fun to be around. He’s got swagger to him and even had “Minshew Mania” ensuing during his brief run as the starter in Jacksonville, where fans wore mustaches and rocked mullets in his honor.
He’s an ideal guy to get as a backup to Kirk Cousins and then be a bridge option for a season or two. He is more than capable of running an effective offense, allowing the Vikings to compete as they also prepare for the future when they eventually draft and begin developing a young quarterback.