INDIANAPOLIS - Former Northwest quarterback Gardner Minshew II was chosen for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games on Tuesday afternoon, becoming only the second Ranger football alumnus to be selected for the NFL's all-star honors.
Minshew, a native of Brandon, joined the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent signing last spring after stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles. After No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson went down early in the season with an injury, Minshew stepped up to carry the Colts to a 7-6 record over the final 13 games of the season, nearly guiding the franchise to the AFC South title and the NFL playoffs.
Minshew completed 305 passes on 490 attempts, good for a 62.2 percentage. He tossed 15 touchdowns and 3,305 yards, earning a passer rating of 84.6. Minshew also led a pair of fourth quarter comebacks and was credited with two game-winning drives, while also earning three rushing touchdowns on 34 carries and 100 yards.
This is Minshew's first appearance in the Pro Bowl Games over his five-year NFL career. His fellow Colts' teammates - offensive guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner - will also join him in Orlando this weekend.
'
Other NFL quarterbacks chosen for the Pro Bowl Games include AFC starters Tua Tagovailoa (Miami), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) and C.J. Stroud (Houston). NFC quarterbacks include Brock Purdy (San Francisco), Dak Prescott (Dallas), Matthew Stafford (L.A. Rams), Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia), Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay), Geno Smith (Seattle) and Jared Goff (Detroit).
Prior to his time in Indianapolis, Minshew backed up Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia from 2021-22. He completed 44-of-76 passes for 663 yards and three touchdowns last season and started in four games over the past two seasons.
Minshew spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Jacksonville, putting the NFL on notice as a rookie. He made 12 starts in 2019 and set single-season career highs in completions (285), attempts (470), passing yards (3,271) and passing touchdowns (21).
In his rookie season with the Jaguars, Minshew became only the fourth NFL rookie quarterback to throw at least 20 touchdowns with six or less interceptions, joining the likes of Dak Prescott (2016), Robert Griffin III (2012) and Dan Marino (1983). He was also chosen as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week seven times.
Minshew rose to prominence during his lone season playing for the late Mike Leach at Washington State, earning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after completing 468-of-662 passes for 4,479 yards and 38 touchdowns. He set both Pac-12 and WSU single-season records in completions and passing yards and also earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year accolades.
Before spending two seasons at East Carolina (2016-17), Minshew helped Northwest to the 2015 NJCAA Championship, passing for 3,288 yards and 28 touchdowns on 223 completions. That season, he led the MACJC and was second in the NJCAA in passing yards and attempts, fourth in completions, fifth in touchdown passes and seventh in passing yards per game.
Minshew is just the second Northwest alumnus to earn a Pro Bowl selection, joining the late Cortez Kennedy, who was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection from 1991-96, 1998 and 1999. Kennedy spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will air February 1 and 4 on ESPN, ABC and Disney XD. The events will be held at Nicholson Fieldhouse and Camping World Stadium, both in Orlando.
