5 quarterbacks Detroit Lions should target in free agency to backup Jared Goff

5. Gardner Minshew

Peak “Minshew Mania” from his days with the Jacksonville Jaguars is long gone now. But Minshew remains a capable quarterback, as he embarks on a career path which may parallel Ryan Fitzpatrick’s when it’s all said and done. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially from a career earnings standpoint, if Minshew can play in the league as long as Fitzpatrick did.

It’s easy to overlook, or just flat-out forget, how efficient Minshew was in his two years (23 games–20 starts) with the Jaguars (37 touchdowns, 11 interceptions). In four starts for the Philadelphia Eagles over the last two years, as Jalen Hurts’ backup, he was fine. Some good, some bad, but fine for the role.

Minshew is willing to cut it loose downfield, he’s got some mobility and he plays with a reckless abandon straddling good and bad much of the time (just like Fitzpatrick). He’s still got some honing to do on the finer points of quarterback play. But from a pure “keep things interesting if he has to play” standpoint, Minshew is an absolutely ideal backup quarterback.

And at 27 years old in May, Minshew could stick around in Detroit for a few years if they want him as the backup to whoever the starter is in 2023, 2024…