Bummed Out Blake Bortles: 'I Don't Know, I Just Work Here'

It was fleeting, but there was a moment in the not-so-distant past in which Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars were considered “good.” Going into this year, hopes were especially high because Bortles’ wrist no longer hurt.

After the first month of the season, the Jags were 3-1. Then they got carved up so thoroughly and so easily by Kansas City in Week 5 that the entire franchise fell apart and now Bortles, a former No. 3 overall pick, the former face of the franchise, is saying he’s just another guy around here, man.

From ESPN:

Sunday was Bortles’ first action since Nov. 25, when he completed 12-of-23 passes for 127 yards in a 24-21 loss at Buffalo. That was the fourth time in a six-game stretch in which he threw for fewer than 150 yards, and Marrone benched him and fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett the following day.

Bortles ended up completing 5-of-6 passes for 39 yards and running four times for 25 yards in what could be the last time he’ll play for the Jaguars.

"“I don’t know. I just work here,” Bortles said. “I signed up for three years so until those three years are up or until they let me go, I’ll play when they need me.”"

So this is probably it for Blake Bortles as a Jacksonville Jaguar and possibly as a starting quarterback.

Bortles had some big games this year. He threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns in a Week 2 win over the Patriots, had 388 yards in a win over the Jets and 320 in a loss to the Colts. He had 430 yards in that loss to the Chiefs, but it came along with four interceptions.

And that’s pretty much the Bortles story. Look at his “similar players” list on Pro Football Reference, and you get a pretty good picture. Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Josh Freeman, Marcus Mariota …

It’s too bad, really. Bortles has been dumped on so much during his career, I was hoping to see him put it all together in year five. But as year five winds down, it turns out Bortles just works there, and not for long.