Over the weekend, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced the decision to ink quarterback Blake Bortles to a three-year extension that could be worth up to $66.5 million. It has completely erased any doubt about his long-term future with the franchise beyond the 2018 NFL season.
This has also drawn plenty of reaction throughout the league about the sudden choice to ink Bortles to a new deal after helping lead the Jaguars to their first AFC Championship Game in nearly two decades. His teammate running back Leonard Fournette has jumped onto social media to congratulate the 25-year-old while also giving him a friendly little ribbing.
Congrats to you brother now spend some of that on yo mouth, ya breath be killing the huddle saying the plays 😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/BJWvgIjG6B
— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) February 27, 2018
Fournette's comments show that there is a strong bond between himself and Bortles after just one season together. This is coming off the heels of a promising season where they helped push the team to their first playoff berth since 2007 and first AFC South division title since 1999. He played a huge part in his rookie year rushing for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games played.
This saw him join Fred Taylor as the only rookies in team history to rush for at least 1,000 yards. His 1,342 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns were also both the third-most by a rookie in franchise history.
With this new deal in place for Bortles, it has raised the level of pressure on him to lead the team to sustained success over the next three seasons. The bar has been set for him to build off the deep playoff run with the next step being reaching the Super Bowl, which has never been done in the franchise's 23-year history.Bortles has had his fair share of individual struggles over the last couple of seasons while showing little progression in his development.
Instead, there has been much criticism directed towards his performance on the field. That said, Bortles has a chance to use this offseason to work on his craft coupled with the Jaguars adding more pieces to the puzzle through free agency and the draft could help lead to a breakout year and a possible Super Bowl appearance.
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