Free-agent quarterback Blake Bortles has decided to retire from football. The former first-round pick played six seasons in the NFL, primarily for the Jaguars. He spent five years in Jacksonville as their starter, leading the team to the conference finals in 2017, which was their last playoff berth. The 30-year-old spent one season as a backup quarterback for the Rams in 2019 before remaining a free agent for the past two seasons. He reportedly decided to step away from the game several months ago but made it official on the Pardon My Take podcast recently.
The New Orleans Saints released quarterback Blake Bortles on Tuesday after he asked to be released following the signing of Andy Dalton, according to a league source. Bortles, 29, has 73 NFL starts and 103 touchdowns on his resume and is looking for a better opportunity to be a backup signal-caller. He hasn't started an NFL game since his final season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, and he hasn't even stepped foot on the field in an NFL game since 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams. Bortles will continue to make the rounds in hopes of landing a backup job somewhere else. He was originally a first-rounder for the Jaguars in 2014 out of Central Florida, and he spent his first five NFL seasons in Jacksonville.
Blake Bortles Joins Saints, Will Serve As Backup QB
Veteran quarterback Blake Bortles has signed a deal with the New Orleans Saints, making him the backup quarterback for Monday's game against Miami. The New Orleans quarterback room was thrown into flux earlier in the week when Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, which has paved the way for Ian Book to not only make his first NFL start, but log his first professional snaps. While Book enjoyed success during his time at Notre Dame, he is an enormously risky fantasy asset, especially against a Dolphins defense that has begun to find its groove. Bortles has not seen in-game action since 2019 when he made three appearances with the Rams. A starter for five seasons with Jacksonville, Bortles brings experience to the sidelines in the case that the Saints need to pivot away from their rookie signal caller in a pivotal game.
The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Blake Bortles from the practice squad on Monday and activated quarterback Kurt Benkert from the practice squad Reserve/COVID-19 list in a corresponding move. Bortles, who was with the team this summer when Aaron Rodgers hadn't reported, was brought in strictly as an emergency backup when Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss the Week 9 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Rodgers back and playing in Sunday's 17-0 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Bortles is no longer needed. Second-year QB Jordan Love will continue to serve as Rodgers' backup the rest of the way.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Blake Bortles Active For Sunday
The Green Bay Packers will get back wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (hamstring) for Sunday's contest against the Chiefs, while quarterback Blake Bortles will also be on the active roster after having been elevated from the practice squad. Valdes-Scantling has been sidelined since Week 3, with his return giving Green Bay roughly a complete version of its wideout corps. Bortles' elevation comes as a means of providing Jordan Love with a backup for his first NFL start due to Aaron Rodgers' (COVID-19 protocols) absence. Even with Rodgers under center, Valdes-Scantling is a touchdown-dependent fantasy option and his value is even more murky with Love slinging from the pocket.
The Green Bay Packers officially signed quarterback Blake Bortles to their practice squad on Thursday with Aaron Rodgers ruled out for Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for COVID-19. Bortles was on the team's roster this summer until Rogers reported to training camp, so he has some familiarity with the offense in case of an emergency. With Rodgers out this weekend, last year's first-round pick, Jordan Love, will make the first start of his NFL career after not seeing the field at all in 2020. Bortles will likely be elevated from the practice squad to serve as Love's backup in Week 9 and potentially beyond if Rodgers isn't cleared in time for Week 10.
Veteran quarterback Blake Bortles flew to Green Bay on Wednesday with the expectation that he will sign with the Packers practice squad and be eligible for the 53-man roster this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to a source. Earlier in the day on Wednesday, it was announced that Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Week 9 contest against the Chiefs. Bortles was on the team's roster this summer until Rodgers reported, so he has some familiarity with the offense. However, Jordan Love, a first-round pick in 2020 that didn't see the field at all in his rookie season, will be tapped to make his first career start this Sunday. Bortles is expected to serve as Love's backup this weekend and is unlikely to play, barring an injury to Love.
The Seattle Seahawks worked out quarterback Blake Bortles on Tuesday. It comes in the wake of Russell Wilson rupturing a tendon in one of the fingers on his throwing hand in last Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Wilson underwent surgery on his finger and could miss as much as six to eight weeks. Geno Smith will take over the starting duties for the foreseeable future, but Seattle would like some more depth behind him. Jake Luton is the only other quarterback on the Seahawks roster on the practice squad. Bortles was released by the Green Bay Packers in training camp when Aaron Rodgers finally showed up. The 29-year-old former Jacksonville Jaguar hasn't started a game in the NFL since 2018.
The Green Bay Packers have announced they have released backup quarterback Blake Bortles. It's not that Bortles would have 'challenged' reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers for the starting job but could have competed for the backup job with untested prospect Jordan Love. The veteran passer is years removed from throwing 35 touchdowns in 2015 for the Jaguars but still could provide depth on an NFL roster. As training camps around the league get underway, Bortles may have to be patient before he finds a landing spot.
The Green Bay Packers signed veteran quarterback Blake Bortles to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to a source. Bortles is the first addition at the position since news of Aaron Rodgers' unhappiness with the organization broke last month. However, Green Bay had just Rodgers and 2020 first-rounder Jordan Love on the roster at the position, so additions to the position were inevitable. Bortles has a connection with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from their time together with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2015-18. The third pick back in 2014 last played in a regular season game in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams and spent time with the Rams and Denver Broncos last year. He will strictly represent QB depth in Green Bay.
