After losing seven straight games and getting eliminated from the playoff race, Jacksonville Jaguars started making some big changes. The team first fired offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett on Monday, and then decided to bench their starting quarterback Blake Bortles in favor of Cody Kessler.
Speaking with reporters for the first time since Jags’ head coach Doug Marrone took away his starting QB job, Bortles said that he put himself in that position.
“I put myself in this position,”- said Bortles. “I didn’t play good enough. I didn’t win football games. I couldn’t find a way to get it done.“
By being benched for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, Blake Bortles will see his streak of starting 72 consecutive games get snapped.
“When that happens, it’s a business and everybody understands that. I don’t think there’s anything personal involved. As a quarterback, I think you have one job and that’s to win a football game. And if you don’t do that, your time is probably limited.” – he added.
Always being an inconsistent quarterback, Blake Bortles particularly struggled in 2018. He managed to complete just 60 percent of his passes (223 of 36), throwing for 2,572 yards and 13 touchdowns. Bortles also threw 10 interceptions while failing to get over 200 yards passing on six occasions.
The future of Blake Bortles in Jacksonville remains unknown, although there are many indications that the team is thinking about moving on from him. Bortles still has two years left on his three-year, $54 million extension he signed in February 2018, and the Jags would have to take a massive salary cap hit if they decide to release him. It remains to be seen whether they think that wouldn’t be a big price if they could land a better quarterback.
