Blake Bortles has had an up-and-down tenure as the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last season, it appeared he was turning the corner and received a contract extension in the offseason. That could end up being a major mistake for the franchise.

Just last week, Bortles was benched in favor of backup quarterback Cody Kessler. Jacksonville has decided to keep him in the lineup as the starting quarterback in Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles. That being said, the Jaguars will have a short leash on him and he could easily get benched again.

According to Bortles in an interview shared by ESPN, Bortles is not going to play worrying about something that he cannot control.

“You've just got to go play. I don't think you can worry about it. You can't play the position and play the game constantly worrying about, ‘What happens if I make a mistake?' I've always kind of played fearless and not scared to make the mistake. I think that's allowed me to make some plays, but in saying that, I've got to also be smart and obviously take calculated risks and make sure whatever I'm doing is putting us in position to score.”

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Jacksonville was viewed as a serious championship contender coming into the 2018 NFL season. They are still one of the most talented teams in the league, but have not been able to put everything together yet.

Through the seven games that he has played this season, Bortles has completed 60.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,735 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Philadelphia doesn't have the best defense in the NFL, which should give Bortles a chance to bounce back. If he doesn't, however, his time with Jacksonville could be coming to an end.

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