The AFC South quarterback picture has recently seen change. Who is the best signal caller in this division now? AFC South power rankings are below.
For a long stretch, the Indianapolis Colts had the best quarterbacks in the AFC South. Peyton Manning from about 1999 to his final season with the Colts in 2010. And then, Andrew Luck for five of his six years in the NFL.
In a division that has not had many teams with stable quarterback situations, the Houston Texans have had to cycle through several signal callers since 2010. Matt Schaub, when healthy, was the starter from about 2007-13. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum got starts after Schaub.
Following the Schaub days; Tom Savage, Brock Osweiler and Brian Hoyer got the bulk of the starts. Then, in ’17, the Deshaun Watson era began.
With the Tennessee Titans, Marcus Mariota was the main starter from 2015-18. In the years before him, some names the Titans had to turn to were Jack Locker, Matt Hasselbeck, Zach Mettenberger and Fitzpatrick.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had David Garrard, as well as many other signal callers in the past 10 years. Since Garrard’s last season in 2010, the Jaguars have gone through players such as Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Blake Bortles, Cody Kessler, Nick Foles and now Gardner Minshew II.
Now, how does the division rank?
OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 15: Quarterback Gardner Minshew II #15 of the Jacksonville Jaguars sits on the bench during the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum on December 15, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Oakland Raiders 20-16. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Gardner Minshew: 2019 – 3,271 yards, 21 Total TD, 6 INT.
Prior to last season, Nick Foles signed a lucrative contract to become the new starter for the Jaguars. He threw eight passes before getting injured in Week 1.
Gardner Minshew, a sixth-round pick who played college football at Washington State and East Carolina, came in and took the job from the injured Foles.
When Foles returned from injury, Minshew was benched for a couple of games before Doug Marrone gave him the starting role for the rest of the season.
At times, Minshew played well for the Jaguars. In his 12 starts, he went 6-6. He was steady for Marrone.
Minshew threw at least one touchdown in every start besides two. He also threw multiple interceptions in a single game once.
The 23-year old kept the Jaguars competitive and positioned the team to win. Foles has since gone to the Chicago Bears, meaning it is Minshew for the time being in Jacksonville.