Gardner Minshew Appears on NFL MVP Odds Board After Beating Titans

• Jacksonville Jaguars sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew has thrown for five touchdowns and just one interception so far this season
• Minshew has completed 73.9% of his passes through three games
• He’s a better bet with the Rookie of the Year props rather than league MVP

Gardner Minshew has becoming a living legend. He was already styling and profiling as the Jacksonville Jaguars backup quarterback, but after a couple of positive weeks as the starter, sportsbooks have put him on the board for the NFL MVP odds. Is there any chance Minshew wins this award and if so, is he worth a bet?

2020 NFL MVP Odds

*Odds taken September 21

Minshew Brings Life to the Jaguars

Last season, Jacksonville felt like the only thing they were missing was a good quarterback. That’s why the signing of Nick Foles was supposed to give this team playoff-potential – especially after they made it to the AFC Championship Game two years ago. However, Foles was injured early in Week 1 and it’s been Minshew ever since.

Gardner Minshew landing in Houston. Has a porn shoot tonight and will start at quarterback tomorrow for Jags. Busy guy. pic.twitter.com/nOLGBesAoY

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 15, 2019

While many people immediately wrote off the Jaguars, they’ve actually been surprisingly competitive with Minshew under center. They could have won on the road in Week 2 at Houston after they failed to make a last-second, two-point conversion for the win. In Week 3, they beat the Tennessee Titans handily on Thursday Night Football.

Minshew has not looked like a rookie quarterback – especially not one that was drafted in the sixth round. He has completed 73.9% of his passes with five touchdowns and just one interception. He’s brought life to a franchise that looked like it was headed for another lost season. That’s why now he’s even in the conversation as an early MVP.

Can Minshew Compete for an MVP Award?

At this point, the short answer is no. We’re talking about a guy who has played two-and-a-half NFL games and while he’s looked good and he’s revived the Jaguars, he’s not MVP-worthy just yet. For it to happen, Minshew would have to lead the Jaguars to at least a 10-6 season.

The challenge is that Minshew actually doesn’t have a great cast around him. Running back Leonard Fournette is a so-so running back and the wide receiving corps is stuck with inconsistent players like Dede Westbrook, D.J. Chark and Marqise Lee. He’s played well but I expect his numbers to decline a bit.

The other issue is Minshew has a lot of competition for the award. Right now, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on pace for a second consecutive season with over 50 touchdown passes. If he does get close to that and the Chiefs are a 10 or 11-win team, he’s going to win the award.

And even if it’s not Mahomes, guys like Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott have much better numbers and a much better case.

There’s no question that Minshew has had an impressive start to his career but I don’t expect the Jaguars to be a playoff team and I don’t see Minshew putting up MVP-caliber type of numbers. What he is showing us is he could be their quarterback of the future and he might have a shot at the Rookie of the Year award.