Watch: Gardner Minshew celebrating with his dad following win against Jets is going viral
The name Gardner Minshew may not be familiar to everyday football fans. Minshew, the current backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, got the start Sunday against the New York Jets because of an ankle injury to starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Minshew led the Eagles to a 33-18 victory over the New York Jets, and the quarterback stepped up, going 20 of 25 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. But it was a moment after the game that went viral that had Eagles fans stoked.
Watch: Gardner Minshew celebrates Eagles win over Jets with dad
Gardner Minshew and his dad post W. Awesome. https://t.co/OeWja4HOpf
In the video via Twitter, Minshew is jubilant after a much-needed win against the Jets. He can be seen hugging his father and is a bit emotional over the victory.
Minshew has reason to be emotional as he has had quite the NFL journey.
.@GardnerMinshew5 has got some fans of his own https://t.co/NpuZsbDCNR
Where did Gardner Minshew come from?
Minshew was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Washington State. About a month before that draft, the Jaguars signed former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles to be their starter.
On September 8, 2019, Foles was injured, and Minshew entered the game. Despite losing that game 40-26 to the Kansas City Chiefs, Minshew completed 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
These numbers were and still are the NFL record for the highest completion percentage by a quarterback in their debut game (minimum 15 pass attempts).
Foles was eventually traded after the 2019 season, which made Minshew the unquestioned starter. The 2020 season was marred by injuries that saw Minshew miss significant time, and his replacement, Mike Glennon, was given starts even after Minshew returned later that year.
In the spring of 2021, it was evident that the writing was on the wall for a divorce between Minshew and the Jaguars, as the team drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence from Clemson University.
On August 28, 2021, Minshew was traded to the Eagles as the backup to incumbent quarterback Jalen Hurts. Minshew did a great job Sunday leading the Eagles to a crucial win as the team fights to earn a playoff spot in the NFC.
The Eagles record is currently 6-7 and still have a legitimate shot at winning the NFC East. The division-leading Dallas Cowboys have a 8-4 record after dropping three of their last five games.