Blake Bortles quietly entered official retirement this offseason and is announcing it for the first time. Check out why he known as The Boat.

Blake Bortles : Retires | Contract | The boat | stats

Robby Blake Bortles is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Blake Bortles : Retires | Contract | The boat | stats

Personal information
Born: April 28, 1992 (age 30)
Altamonte Springs, Florida
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight: 236 lb (107 kg)
Career information
       High school:         Oviedo (Oviedo, Florida)
College: UCF (2010–2013)
NFL Draft: 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3

He played college football at UCF, where he received AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors as a junior and was MVP of the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. Bortles was selected by the Jaguars third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.

As the Jaguars’ starting quarterback from 2014 to 2018, Bortles set franchise records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns in 2015.

Blake Bortles Retires 

The UCF great appeared on the Pardon My Take podcast, and announced that he quietly retired a month ago, a move that did not previously garner much attention. Bortles had not been with a team since April, when he was waived by the Saints.

“I have not touched a football since January,” Bortles said, when asked if he was ready to sign with a team if the opportunity presented itself.

Blake Bortles : Retires | Contract | The boat | stats

“I quietly—I didn’t tell anybody—I retired two months ago probably and i  just didn’t tell anyone, so I guess you guys are the first to hear publicly.”

Of course, money talks, and Bortles said he’d “be there in a heartbeat” if a team offered him a two-year, $15 million contract.

Bortles appeared in 78 games through eight NFL seasons, starting 73—all for the Jaguars. His last appearance came with the Rams in 2019.

He finishes with a career completion percentage of 59.3% for 17,649 yards, 103 touchdowns, 75 interceptions and 1,766 rushing yards with eight scores on the ground. At UCF, Bortles was a two-time all-conference player, making the All-AAC first team in 2013. He was also the league’s Offensive Player of the Year that season.

Contract 

The Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Blake Bortles agreed to terms on a three-year, $54 million contract extension Saturday, the team announced.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the deal.

The deal could be worth up to $66.5 million thanks to various incentives and includes $26.5 million guaranteed. 

Blake Bortles : Retires | Contract | The boat | stats

Bortles will now be under contract through the 2020 season.  

ESPN’s Josina Anderson first reported the sides were discussing an extension. 

Jacksonville had previously picked up Bortles’ $19 million team option for the 2018 season. However, his future was uncertain beyond that since it represented the fifth and final year on his rookie contract. 

But thanks to a 2017 campaign that saw him compile 3,687 passing yards, 322 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns while contributing to Jacksonville’s AFC South title and run to the conference championship game, Bortles found some new fans in the front office. 

Blake Bortles The boat 

Bortles was given the B.O.A.T. nickname after telling Barstool Sports he’d probably be working construction if he wasn’t playing football.

Bortles is familiar with Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who coached him in Jacksonville.

Blake Bortles : Retires | Contract | The boat | stats

And Bortles, facetiously nicknamed the BOAT (Best Of All Time), has thrown just two passes in the last two seasons.

One of the most prestigious Takies is the annual “Blake of the Year Award,” which has traditionally been a spirited contest between NFL quarterback Blake Bortles and NBA star Blake Griffin. Blake Bortles is the +155 favorite to win the 2019 Blake of the Year Award.

Stats

On May 8, 2014, at the 2014 NFL Draft, Bortles was chosen in the first round with the third overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bortles was the first of an eventual 14 quarterbacks to be drafted.

Blake Bortles : Retires | Contract | The boat | stats

Career highlights and awards
  • AAC Offensive Player of the Year (2013)
  • First-team All-AAC (2013)
  • Second-team All-Conference USA (2012)
  • UCF Athletics Hall of Fame (2021)
Career NFL statistics
        Completion percentage:           59.3
TD–INT: 103–75       
Passing yards: 17,649
Passer rating: 80.6
Rushing yards: 1,766
Rushing touchdowns: 8

On June 18, 2014, Bortles signed his rookie contract worth $20.6 million guaranteed for four years with the team.

During Week 3, Bortles made his NFL debut when he came in relief of Chad Henne in the second half of a 44–17 blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He went on to complete 14-of-24 passes for 223 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Following the game, head coach Gus Bradley named Bortles the starter going forward. In the next game, Bortles made his first NFL start against the San Diego Chargers.

He ended the game 29-of-37 for 253 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 33–14 road loss. His 78.4 percent completion percentage set a record for a rookie quarterback’s first start.

Two weeks later against the Tennessee Titans, he produced 336 yards on 32-of-46 passes (three franchise rookie records), but the Jaguars lost 14–16 due to a blocked field goal.

During Week 13 against the New York Giants, Bortles threw for 194 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions and 68 rushing yards in the Jaguars’ largest comeback win in franchise history. 

By Rishabh

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