Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback Gardner Minshew has been ruled out for the team's Week 9 matchup with the Houston Texans.
Minshew was discovered to have a strained ligament and multiple fractures in a right thumb which has given him trouble for weeks. He will take a seat on Sunday, and will be replaced by Jake Luton, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Jaguars' QB Gardner Minshew II officially ruled out of Sunday's game vs. Texans.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 6, 2020
Luton was selected in the sixth round of this past April's draft, and will take his first NFL snaps on Sunday.
The 24-year-old started 11 games for the Oregon State Beavers in 2019, throwing for over 2,700 yards and 28 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Luton also averaged 8.8 yards per pass attempt.
Jacksonville will see what it has in Luton with Minshew on the bench, though Sunday's game is hardly consequential in the large picture.
The Jaguars stunned the football world by winning their season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, but have since lost six straight games.
Minshew had posted respectable numbers through the first seven games, throwing for 1,855 yards and 13 touchdowns against five interceptions while completing close to 66 percent of his attempts. But he had clearly been hampered by the thumb in the last two games, completing well under 60 percent of his passes.
There have been other bright spots, at least on the offensive end. Running back James Robinson has been a sturdy rusher and a weapon in the passing game, while rookie wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. has also been a decent playmaker.
But the Jaguars rank 31st in defensive scoring, and have been unable to make up for the total absence of a pass rush.
This is already something of a lost year for Jacksonville, so the Jags will see what Luton can do against a woeful Texans secondary.
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