Packers are reportedly signing Blake Bortles, but who will he be backing up?
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There is a new quarterback in Green Bay, but all eyes are still waiting to see if the old one is on the way out.
The Green Bay Packers are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars starter Blake Bortles to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Packers are giving veteran QB Blake Bortles a one-year deal, per source. https://t.co/pXxVl6DXf6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2021
Since his exit from the Jaguars, Bortles has spent two stints with the Los Angeles Rams as Jared Goff's backup and one with the Denver Broncos, the latter of which came mostly on the practice squad. He did not appear in a game during the 2020 season.
As the Packers' roster currently stands, Bortles joins a quarterbacks room featuring reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love. Will that be true when the season begins?
What does Blake Bortles signing mean for Aaron Rodgers?
It was reported on draft day that Rodgers wants out of Green Bay due to frustration with the team's decision-makers. A Yahoo Sports report indicated that Rodgers might consider retirement if the team doesn't let him go, An Athletic report detailed Rodgers' revulsion of Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and Brett Favre has naturally weighed in.
The situation is serious enough that Packers All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams is talking about a hypothetical exit. Not helping the situation is Gutekunst signaling that Love isn't yet ready to take over as the starter, via The Athletic:
“He’s got a long way to go,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the first round of this year’s draft. “But we’re ecstatic for his development.
“Obviously we think the world of Jordan and where he’s going to grow and develop. I think it’s pretty early to be able to tell you that because obviously with no preseason games last year and just kind of the no spring, but we have a lot of confidence in his talents, in his work ethic and where he’s going to go. But it’s a little early for that.”
So Bortles could be a relatively expensive third-string QB, Rodgers' backup rather than the still developing Love, Love's backup if Rodgers exits or maybe a starter if everything in Green Bay falls apart.
Alongside Rodgers and Love, the Packers carried three quarterbacks on their roster last season with Tim Boyle aboard. Love was inactive for every game while Boyle served as the backup behind Rodgers. It's possible Bortles could fulfill the same role as Love continues to develop.
Of course, you would hope that Love reaches the point where the team actually wants him on the gameday roster this year. Signing a veteran like Bortles rather than someone like the undrafted Boyle could mean the Packers want to be ready for anything.
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