It might have taken a while to get to him, but the WSU legend finally got that Pro Bowl call.
After a few years as an NFL nomad, former WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew finally got the playing time he was looking for this season with the Indianapolis Colts. And while his squad came up a little shy of the playoffs, Minshew was able to cap off his season with a major honor.
On Tuesday, Minshew was named to the Pro Bowl roster as one of three AFC quarterbacks. He joins CJ Stroud and Tua Tagovailoa in the quarterback room for the AFC. They’ll face an NFC squad led by quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. Of those six signal callers, only Tagovailoa was on the initial roster when it was announced in December. Since then Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford have all dropped out.
Despite his status as an “alternate,” it was still a season to remember for Minshew. The former WSU star started the season as a backup “veteran” mentor to Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. But, after the rookie went down with a shoulder injury in week five, Minshew got his opportunity to step up.
In 13 games as the starter in Indianapolis Minshew completed 305 of 490 passes for 3,305 yards. He also rushed for a trio of scores and threw for 15 touchdowns along with nine interceptions on his way to a 7-6 record as starting quarterback. Overall, the Colts finished at 9-8 and entered the final week of the season one win away from their first playoff berth since the 2019 season.
Minshew, who is set to become a free agent this offseason, will now head to Orlando for this weekend’s Pro Bowl. The event, which is now a series of games and skill events, gets started on Thursday night with the Skills Showdown and concludes Sunday with the Pro Bowl Games Championship, including an all-star flag football showdown, at noon pacific time.
Former Washington State star Gardner Minshew headed to the NFL Pro Bowl as alternate | The Spokesman-Review
Entering a 2023-24 season in which quarterback Gardner Minshew was signed to serve as a mentor to Indianapolis Colts rookie Anthony Richardson, it was the former Washington State star earning an improbable Pro Bowl nod.
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Minshew completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns over 17 games (13 starts) for the Colts in 2023.
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