The Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars is no more. So is the starting version of himself — as the Jaguars released him in the offseason — with him backing up Pro Bowler Jared Goff on the Los Angeles Rams. But, he's okay with that, as, in the city of Angeles, Bortles has found a new role: mentor.
Bortles went 24-49 as the starter for the Jaguars in five years of play and posted an 80.6 passer rating while doing so. Both are less-than-ideal numbers, but the Rams never brought him in so he can get a starting job. Rather, his experience as a long-term starter is good for the team, and Goff.
“We [Goff and Borltes] definitely have some good conversations about things. “Just watching tape and seeing different looks. There’s certain things that at this point in Jared’s career, he’s seen as much,” Bortles said this week per USA Today.
Not everything – you’ve never seen it all, but he’s seen a lot of stuff. He’s played a lot of football, he’s seen a lot of looks. It’s good conversation, it’s good back and forth banter on, ‘What do you think here? Have you seen it before? What did you do in the past?’ type stuff. It’s awesome to have that relationship for me I know Chad Henne was that guy for me. It’s kind of flipped the roles and reverse that a little bit and be that guy for Jared as much as possible. It’s been fun for me.”
As Bortles mentioned, he's playing a bit of the Chad Henne role — his mentor in his earlier playing days in Jacksonville. While he hasn't enjoyed a career that his No. 3 overall pick draft status says he should, he's more than fine with teaching an up-and-coming quarterback the ropes.
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