Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles had been at the center of any negative speculation surrounding the team throughout the 2017 NFL season. Even with the Jaguars in the AFC Conference Championship Game, the New England Patriots are heavy favorites thanks to their presumed advantage at the quarterback position.

Among Bortles' harshest critics has been former NFL quarterback and analyst Trent Dilfer. According to ESPN's David Newton, Dilfer offered a bit of advice for the young signal caller on blocking out the noise:

“I was really hard on him, kind of unfairly,” Dilfer told ESPN.com. “I said, ‘Hey, if I were to give you any advice it would be … don’t listen to us. Don’t watch. Don’t listen. Don’t read. It’s not going to be any good.'”

Ironically, Dilfer shares a lot in common with Bortles in terms of quarterbacks being carried to championship contention. The former ESPN analyst acknowledged his football legacy and even left hope for the Jaguars' signal caller to accomplish his crowning achievement.

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“Trust me,” Dilfer said. “If I were building a franchise, I would want Aaron Rodgers, not Trent Dilfer. I wouldn’t want to try to win the way we won in Baltimore. It decreases your odds. But it happens every once in a while.”

Dilfer won Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens. It is well-known that he was the weakest link on a Ravens team that boasted the best defense in the league that year.

Needless to say, there are plenty of similarities to the Jaguars' situation with Bortles. Fortunately, the young quarterback showed signs of promise with a number of clutch drives in their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.