While a common perception has been that the Jacksonville Jaguars could look to upgrade the quarterback position in 2018, that does not appear to be the case. Speaking on the NFL Network, Ian Rapoport noted that, in fact, the Jaguars have no plans on replacing Blake Bortles.
#Jaguars QB Blake Bortles’ wrist surgery shouldn’t alter what was already the plan: For Bortles to be their QB in 2018. pic.twitter.com/TbswrROMqG
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 30, 2018
“He actually had surgery late last week. Went fine. Should be available for the upcoming season. And my understanding is that the Jaguars are trying to keep him. This is something we talked about during the playoffs. I know people talk about them potentially being in the free agent quarterback mix. To my understanding, Blake Bortles is their quarterback.”
Bortles certainly didn’t have a brilliant 2017 season. But in some ways, it was the best year of his career. His yardage (3,687) and touchdown passes (21) were both the third best totals of his four-year career. But Bortles set a career high in completion percentage (60.2) and a low in interceptions (11).
More importantly, Bortles helped the Jaguars to a 10-6 record, the AFC South crown, and made the playoffs for the first time in his career, reaching the AFC Championship Game. He was even pretty darn good in the postseason, which was a shock to many.
The quarterback market will be an interesting one in 2018. But whether we agree or not, it’s easy to see why the Jags are holding firm.