After a mostly disappointing tenure with the Jaguars, who made him the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft, Blake Bortles was released by Jacksonville in March and caught on with the Rams a week later. Los Angeles obviously has Jared Goff entrenched as its starting QB, but Bortles expects to become a starting signal-caller in the NFL once again, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes.
Of course, one wouldn’t expect Bortles, 27, to say anything different. He understands that he will serve as Goff’s clipboard holder in 2019, but as a five-year starter, a former first-round draft pick, and a collegiate standout, his competitive fire is doubtlessly still burning. But if he does get another opportunity to start in the NFL, he is going to have to fight for it.
In that sense, landing with the Rams was probably the best possible scenario for Bortles. LA head coach Sean McVay has already developed a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, and if Bortles can put together some quality tape this preseason, it’s certainly possible that a club with an uncertain QB situation in 2020 would at least give Bortles a real chance at competing for a starting gig.
Bortles is already impressed with the 33-year-old HC. He said, “[s]eeing how [McVay] coaches, how all the other coaches coach and how the guys are receptive and take it, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Bortles added, “at the same time, I also expect to be a starter in this league again, and I know it’s not going to be here in L.A. So I’m trying to just better myself. … And if I get an opportunity to play, great. If not, then I spent a year learning from McVay, and being around a really good organization.”
Bortles will make just $1MM with the Rams this year, a far cry from the $5.5MM in base pay he was due to collect from the Jaguars. But he does have over $40MM in career earnings to date, so he won’t be hurting too badly.
Blake of the year?
AWL
He ought to settle in for BU role. Another 10 years at around $10-15m per season. Good work if you can get it.
No backup makes that much
I think Foles was getting $10mil/year.
That was a unique situation…..
“Bortles will make just 1mm with the Rams this year”. No way in heck he comes close to that amount as a backup.
I wouldn’t say &10-15m that’s low end starter money, but as a high end backup he can make around $5-7m which is still pretty sweet
He was an overrated QB in a very weak QB draft of 2014. Only Carr and Garrappolo remain as starters from that class and neither of them went round 1 like manziel and bridgewater did.
He might become a starter due to injury but I doubt we see him as a long term starter ever again….which….he’s got more money than he’ll ever need so it’s not we need to feel bad for him.
Agree completely with your last sentence… and by the same token, if you have a guy used to being a starter and making better money who signs a pillow contract in hopes of rebuilding his stock, then at least you have a guy who wants it and will work hard.
But he DOMINATED at Central Florida!
LOL
Well, Bridgewater kinda has a excuse
At the very least, he’s saying the right things.
Bortles return as a full time starter will coincide with the league expanding to 64 teams.
With a 36 week season…
Yep. Good luck to him…….just not for my team.
and i expect to he crowned king of England…
Future MVP of XFL