Gibbs taking patient approach with Suarez

Joe Gibbs is playing the patience game when it comes to Daniel Suarez and the No. 19 team.

After inheriting the ARRIS Toyota from Carl Edwards, who decided during the offseason to step away from full-time NASCAR competition, Suarez got off to a rocky start with three consecutive finishes outside the top 20. Then came back-to-back top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway and Auto Club Speedway.

But before Suarez could celebrate those mini victories, the team suffered a blow from the announcement crew chief Dave Rogers was taking indefinite personal leave. In the two weeks that Suarez has worked with Scott Graves – who he won the 2016 Xfinity Series championship win – he's finished 32nd (Martinsville) and 19th (Texas).

"I think Daniel, what he's kind of shown in his career if you've watched him, is there's times that he's started slow, like in Xfinity, then he starts a steady progress going forward," Gibbs (pictured) said Wednesday while at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for a sponsorship announcement. "I think that's what we'll see.

"What's set us back some is we had the deal with Dave, and now we switched crew chiefs. That was hard."

Gibbs was complimentary of his rookie driver, however. He used the words "hard worker" and "very dedicated" to describe Suarez and said he knows the time will come when he and the team will trend upward. After all, it's still early Gibbs acknowledged, having only put seven races in the books.

"We've seen a couple races already where he's shown that (talent)," Gibbs said.

With 106 starts across all three NASCAR national series, Suarez is still an inexperienced competitor. Although to Gibbs, he comes across as anything but a rookie.

"We talk all the time," Gibbs said of Suarez. "We talked a lot when Dave had to step aside. I think he gets it. I'll say this – he does not sit back. In our meetings and everything with the other drivers, he's not like a rookie. He's willing to take a stand on things, and he does the same with me. He's pretty mature from the standpoint of he has a lot at stake here, and he'll let you know what he thinks."

Suarez enters Sunday's Food City 500 (2 p.m. ET, Fox) leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. He is 23rd in the overall points.

The status of Rogers remains unclear, with no additional details released as to why he needed the personal time. Whether he will return has also not been decided, with Gibbs saying the company continues to support him.

"He's the one that's got to judge," Gibbs said of Rogers returning. "We told him he could come in some if he wants. Obviously, we've got a place for him there. But right now, we know the most important thing is his kids and his whole situation being taken care of.

"We're just giving him space and time, so we'll see. There is no answer to it now."