Jaguars folk hero Blake Bortles showed the importance of QB position

All good things have to come to an end. That’s why former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has announced his retirement. This shouldn’t come as a surprise though. This had been in the making for a while, as the BOAT hadn’t played in a regular season game since 2019.

Bortles revealed that he was putting down his cleats on Pardon My Take podcast. “I have not touched a football since January”, Bortles said via NFL Media. “I have officially retired.”

Former UCF Knight was selected as the third overall pick in 2014 NFL Draft. He caught the attention of national media in 2015 when he completed 58.6 per cent of his passes for 4,428 year with 35 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. These numbers are impressive, but a closer look reveals that production occurred during garbage time.

After 2017, Bortles was once again in the spotlight. The Jags went 10-6 that year thanks to Bortles' solid defense. The front office still gave the quarterback a $54 million contract for three years. It didn’t take long for the Jaguars’ brass to realize their mistake and pulled the plug on him just one year later.

Following his release, Bortles’ career became somewhat nomadic, spending time with the Rams, the Green Bay Packers, and the New Orleans Saints. As a matter of fact, had he not made his retirement known, you wouldn’t see the media talking about him, that’s how unremarkable his career had become in recent years.

Bortles is trending not because of how good he was on the football field (he wasn’t) but rather because he became something of a folk hero. He was a Fantasy Football darling, despite the fact that he padded his stat sheet to 5-11 for the Jags.

Bortles' superb team helped the Jags reach the AFC South Championship in 2017. His lack of talent was exposed after injuries to the defense in the following season. Nevertheless, he was always relatable and didn’t seem to be in over his head which made him a fan favorite.

Blake Bortles' Twitter profile was created by someone who wanted to post random stats about the quarterback. This made him appear much better than he really was. Of course, being likable and being a franchise quarterback are two different things and the Jags — nor any NFL team for that matter — could employ Bortles.

Football is a team sport. Every position is important, but the quarterback is the most important. Bortles was recognized by the Jaguars and they moved on. It took them a while to get it right. It wasn’t until they drafted Trevor Lawrence last year that the revolving door at the position stopped. That’s how difficult it is to find a good quarterback.

The bottom line is that you can like a football player and at the same time accept that he isn’t very good. Blake Bortles is the perfect example.