The Jacksonville Jaguars made a surprising decision after they designated Blake Bortles as starting quarterback, at least for their Week 1 showdown against the Houston Texans on Sept 10. Explaining his decision, Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said Bortles gives the Jaguars the best chance to win, given the situation that the team is in. Before making the decision, Marrone said he looked at everything, not just the quarterback spot. “Good enough for me to stand here and say he gives us the best chance to win,” said Marrone.
Days ago, Marrone put the starting quarterback position up for grabs after Bortles struggled in the preseason.
He even started veteran backup Chad Henne in their third preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. In their 24-23 loss to the Panthers, Henne played five first-half series, going eight-for-14 for 73 yards while Bortles took over in the second half, completing 12 of 16 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in seven series. After that game, Marrone said he wasn’t ready to name a starting quarterback.
Bortles on a short leash
The Jaguars clarified that Bortles has been named as the starter for their opening game only and not the entire season. Marrone also said that Bortles will be put on a short leash. Bortles, who started the previous 45 games for the Jaguars, welcomed the decision but he said that it won’t change his mindset and work on his game to remain as the starter for the rest of year.
The Jaguars drafted Bortles in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and installed him as a starter that year over Henne, who started 19 games for the team in 2012 and 2013. In his three years as the starter, Bortles tossed for 11,241 yards and 69 touchdowns with 51 interceptions for a passer rating of 79.6. Last season, he threw for 3,905 yards with 23 touchdowns but he was picked 16 times.
Jaguars to consider Colin Kaepernick
Recently, Jaguars team owner Shad Khan said he will consider signing veteran Colin Kaepernick to address their starting quarterback issues. Kaepernick had a decent performance with the San Francisco 49ers, throwing for 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions but he failed to find a team in the offseason due to his kneeling during the national anthem to protest the social injustice in the country last season.
Kaepernick met with the Seattle Seahawks in May but he left without receiving any offer. The Baltimore Ravens declared interest in Kaepernick after veteran starter Joe Flacco went down with a back injury, but he wasn’t signed to a contract.
