During the middle of last season, the Carolina Panthers reportedly considered trading for Eagles backup quarterback Gardner Minshew.

“Sources say during the season, the Carolina Panthers spoke with Philadelphia about Minshew, discussing what the compensation would be,” said NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. “They never dug deep on a possible trade, but they did discuss what it might take. The Panthers called before they acquired Matt Barkley and before they signed Cam Newton. Most teams view Minshew as at least a bridge starter with upside; at worst he's a high-level backup.”

As Rapoport stated, lots of teams are eyeing Minshew as a potential option at quarterback, and for good reason.

CAREER STATISTICS:

• 8-14 record as a starter

• 5,969 passing yards

  • 41 touchdowns

  • 12 interceptions

• 63.2% completion rate

• 518 rushing yards

  • 1 touchdown

• 93.9 passer rating

All in all, Minshew deserves to be a starter.

In his two seasons with the Jaguars, he compiled a 7-13 record as a starter, throwing for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Despite his below average rosters, Minshew still managed to put together solid seasons as a quarterback. As a sixth-round draft pick, he was never given the proper care or time development as a player. He was supposed to be a backup in his rookie year, but came in to relieve veteran quarterback Nick Foles. Meanwhile in his second year, the Jaguars were deliberately tanking to get Trevor Lawrence, which they ended up doing the first overall pick. If Minshew goes somewhere where he can continue to develop, he may shine brighter than expected. There is really no reason that he should be a backup to Jalen Hurts, when Minshew has shown that he is as good as - if not better - than Hurts.

The Panthers 2021 season was plagued with below average quarterback play. Sam Darnold looked decent for the first couple of weeks, only to regress back to the form he had in New York. Then, Cam Newton was brought back as the quarterback after controversy with the team in the 2019 offseason. Newton continued his losing streak as the starting quarterback in Carolina and is now winless in his last eleven starts as a Panther. P.J. Walker’s year wasn’t much to speak of either.

The Panthers are most likely going to use their first-round draft pick on a quarterback. However, the 2022 draft class has little to offer in terms of solid quarterback prospects. Therefore, the Panthers could turn to Minshew as someone who has already established himself as legitimate. He would be an immediate upgrade from the quarterback carousel the Panthers currently have.