Blake Bortles is in a no win situation with the Jaguars

Win or lose, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles will always remain the focal point of the team’s struggles as a football team.

No matter how hard he has tried, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles cannot win everyone’s approval in the city that he has grown to call his home. The former first-round pick could win the remaining nine games on the team’s schedule, play like he did in the 2017 playoffs and there would still be a discussion that he is not the right fit for this franchise.

After reading the story about Bortles by Michael Silver on SI.com, I am more of a fan of No. 5 than I was before. Not because of the way he has played over the course of the last three weeks, but rather because he knows the situation in this town and nationally when it comes to his status as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Bortles doesn’t waver. He takes a beating from the national media and at times from the local media. There are plenty of times it is warranted. Then there are times when he is the target of criticism for the sake of criticism. There are times the former UCF star appears to wear a kevlar vest because he is constantly dodging bullets from the media and fans.

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"“I totally understand that I’m like the scapegoat for this team,” Bortles told Silver in a story released on Thursday morning. “When we play good, ‘The defense played well, the running back did good, the receivers made great plays.’ And when we play bad, ‘Blake Bortles is the worst quarterback on the face of the planet.'”"

Bortles has had his own issues this season with poor decision making, looking like the older version of himself and an offense that looks like a M.A.S.H unit. Still, he takes a beating on the field, gets up, goes back to the huddle and tries to erase whatever mistake he makes. Most of the time this season, erasing the immediate past has not worked well.

The benching last week after two costly fumbles was done by head coach Doug Marrone in an attempt to light a fire under the seats of his ball club. The Jaguars still lost 20-7 to the Houston Texans and now sit in a 0-2 hole in the AFC South.

To make matters worse for Bortles after three sub-par performances in seven games (five if you throw in the 20-15 over the New York Giants and the 9-6 loss to the Tennessee Titans) is the three-year, $54-million contract with $26.5 million in guaranteed money that is owed to him by this franchise.

While it seems everyone across the football landscape is clamoring for the team to make a trade for someone whether it is Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Bradford or Derek Carr, the Jaguars stick to their guns and remain firm in sticking with their starter.

"“Bortles, however, has remained relatively popular inside the building, partly because he is the antithesis of a diva, and partly because of his grit and unflappability in the face of adversity,” Silver wrote."

It must be noted the story was written prior to the team’s 20-7 loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday. With the game on Sunday in London having a major impact on the team’s playoff implications (yes, Jacksonville is only a game out of first place in the AFC South), Bortles can garner some positive press this week with a turnaround game and a win.

It remains to be seen if he does turn his season around and leads the Jaguars to the playoffs if his status in Jacksonville next season will still be as a starter. Whatever the situation, Bortles, and his resolve remain firm that the only thing he is worried about is winning football games for this franchise.

Everything else seems to roll off his back as he moves forward.