Earlier this week, the Packers added depth to their quarterback room when they signed Blake Bortles to a one-year deal. The former Jaguars first-round pick and starter spent the last two seasons as a backup with the Rams and Broncos, and he will fight to regain that role in Green Bay.
Coach Matt Lafleur is clearly confident that Bortles can do so. During the Packers’ rookie minicamp session on Friday, he spoke well about Bortles and particularly appreciated the 29-year-old’s five-year early experience in Jacksonville.
“Shoot, he led his team to the AFC Championship Game” [in 2017], And I mean, they were close to defeating the Patriots in New England, “LaFleur said, per ESPN’s Rob Demowski. “They have a lot of experience, and it’s something you can never take lightly.”
Bortles certainly has experience. He has made 73 regular season starts and three post season starts in his career. That said, Bortles has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 103 touchdowns and 75 interceptions. Worse, he is 24–49 (26–50 including playoffs) in the regular season as a starter.
More: Davante Adams speaks on Aaron Rodgers-Packers drama
He posted only one winning season as a starter in those five years, and that season, as the ’17 campaign Lafleur referred to, the Jaguars had a top-two defense in terms of yards and points. This helped bounce off the inconsistent Bortles.
As such, Bortles looks just like a backup-caliber signal-caller. This is what Green Bay brought him to be. The only question is whether he will be doing this behind Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love.
Rodgers and the Packers are embroiled in a controversy that could last throughout the off-season. Still, LaFleur reiterated that the Packers want the current NFL MVP to remain in Green Bay.
“We want him back in the worst way. I know he knows, and we’ll continue to work on it every day,” LaFleur said.
If Rodgers does not return, Love and Bortles will include the Packers’ QB Room. The prospect of going from an MVP as a second-year unproven player or starter as an NFL travelman should be enough to make Packers fans feel uneasy.
Leave a Reply