Blake Bortles Fact: He's The Man in Jacksonville Long-Term
By Kyle Koster
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Blake Bortles are finalizing a contract extension, according to Ian Rapoport. Adam Schefter reports the deal runs through 2020 and is for $54 million, $26 million of that guaranteed.
The Jaguars were arguably a premature whistle from making the Super Bowl so it’s not entirely surprising to see them sticking with the quarterback who led them to the brink. On the other hand, the signal-caller in question is, well, Bortles, who is not the 70th best QB in the league, but is not in the top 20 either.
Bortles had the best season of his four-year career, yet only managed a 55.5 QBR. His flaws are self-evident but he did cut down on his turnovers and was far more effective due to his offensive line’s ability to keep him upright.
The Jaguars’ menacing defense and power run game figure to be in place for another few years. It’s conceivable Bortles could lead them to the promised land with adept — and we regret to use the word — game managing. Still, his ceiling seems clear and not entirely heavenly at this point. Jacksonville is taking a flier that the devil they know is better than one unknown, even if it’s an upgrade.
Should be a fun experiment to watch play out.