RVs, jorts and game-winning drives — Gardner Minshew is rewriting the Cardinals playbook

“He’s Gardner Minshew the second. Even though there was never a first.

He doesn’t groom his mustache. His mustache grooms him.

He once led the nation in passing without ever throwing a pass.

He used a hammer to break his hand. Instead, his hand broke the hammer.

Brett Favre once called him for fashion advice. He recommended jorts.

All his touchdowns are reviewable just so the refs can watch him score again.

He once threw an interception just to see what it feels like.

Gardner Minshew is the most interesting quarterback in the world.

Stay ready, my friends.”

The words above came from an ESPN parody video released in 2019, after Gardner Minshew joined the Jaguars as a sixth-round pick and became an instant overnight sensation.

Five teams later, Minshew Mania is happening again.

Minshew’s relief performance against the Cowboys was the stuff of legends. Dallas had never lost a home game when leading by 14 or more points in the fourth quarter (202-0-1). And they never had a chance against Minshew, who made four consecutive touchdown drives look destined and dreamlike.

With 11 seconds remaining in the game, Minshew had two plays from the 13-yard line to author one of the most audacious debuts in Valley sports history. He only needed one.

In Arizona, it was a celebration and a revelation. Stay ready, my friends.

Minshew made his presence felt early with the Cardinals, after signing with his sixth team in eight years. He routinely parked his customized Sprinter van in the parking lot of the facility, using the vehicle to take showers or naps in between afternoon meetings.

“I remember I asked him, ‘Hey, are you serious about the RV thing, or is it like a social media thing that you do?’” Paris Johnson Jr. said at the time. “He was like, ‘No. I’m serious about the open road.’”

Meanwhile, center Hjalte Froholdt called him a “salt of the earth kind of guy.” And you might have noticed how hard Froholdt was blocking Sunday in Dallas, twice trucking a Cowboys’ defender on the same play.

Minshew clearly took advantage of Jacoby Brissett’s hold-out. He forged relationships. He received first-team reps during OTAs and during early stages of training camp. When he took the field in Dallas, the connection jumped off the screen. He trusted his teammates and they trusted him.

Minshew is also a nomad and a free spirit. He fits in great on a football team. At Washington State, he and Mike Leach formed one of the most legendary player/coach tandems in college football history. After his rookie season in Jacksonville, Minshew bought an RV and headed out to Los Angeles with some buddies, with only one rule:

First person to use the RV bathroom for serious business had to be the one to clean it out at the very next stop. In a high-stakes standoff, the bathroom went unused for the next two weeks.

Minshew can further the legend on Sunday. He’s playing a football game in the Pacific Northwest, which must feel very familiar. If he can conjure up a road win against a ferocious defense in Seattle, the Cardinals will have the same record as the defending Super Bowl champions.

That would be big. That would instantly make Mike LaFleur a success-in-progress. And maybe Minshew is just the one to make it happen, just the type to enjoy the hype.

Either way, the Cardinals were beaten soundly by Seattle’s backup in their previous meeting. Now is a great time to repay the favor.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

Related

Cardinals open practice window for starting lineman Isaiah AdamsCardinals reportedly finalizing trade of Jacoby Brissett to RavensSeahawks’ Sam Darnold out Sunday vs. Cardinals due to quad injuryArizona Cardinals’ Tyler Allgeier named NFC Offensive Player of the WeekCardinals place Jeremiyah Love on IRCardinals rise in NFL power rankings, now have less than 1% chance of landing No.1 pick