Blake Bortles, the quarterback who guided the Jacksonville Jaguars to a division title and the AFC Championship final during the 2017 campaign, is looking to hang up his boots ‘quietly.’ With the Jaguars, Bortles’ career was inconsistent. The team opted to move on and sign free agent Nick Foles in March 2019 as a result of his inconsistency.
In a recent podcast, the former UCF quarterback announced his retirement, “I have not touched a football since January. I have officially retired.” He also added, “I didn’t tell anybody I retired. A couple of months ago, probably, just didn’t tell anyone. So, I guess you guys are kind of the first to hear it publicly, maybe?”
The Jacksonville Jaguars faced the New England Patriots for the AFC title in 2018 finals. The Jaguars lost the game, and Bortles was visibly disappointed after failing to lead his team to the Super Bowl. CBS cameras spotted him sobbing on the sideline as the New England Patriots sealed the trophy. The footage went viral in the NFL universe and is remembered to this day.
Bortles spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Jaguars, playing in 78 matches with the franchise. Before hanging up his boots, he made his last appearance with the Rams back in 2019.
With a final completion percentage of 59.3, he threw for 17,649 yards, scored 103 touchdowns and 75 interceptions. He also scored eight rushing touchdowns with 1,766 running yards. Bortles was a two-time all-conference selection at UCF, including first-team All-AAC honors in 2013. He also won the award for the league’s best offensive player that year.
