Packers Reportedly Signing QB Blake Bortles

As I’ve said previously, the Green Bay Packers looking into veteran quarterbacks is not really newsworthy and has nothing to do with the ongoing Aaron Rodgers’ situation. Brian Gutekunst told us this would happen after the draft—the team simply can’t go into training camp with only two quarterbacks on the roster.

Earlier this week we learned that Green Bay would be bringing in Kurt Benkert and Chad Kelly to rookie camp as tryouts. And today, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel would first report that there is “interest” in veteran Blake Bortles and “a visit appears likely.”

A short while later, Adam Schefter would add that the Green Bay Packers will be signing the veteran quarterback.

Bortles was the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by Jacksonville and played there through the 2018 season. The team’s best season came in 2017 when they finished 10-6 and made it to the AFC Championship Game where it looked like they had New England beat.

That season, Bortles threw for almost 3,700 yards with 21 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and averaged 7.0 yards per attempt. In the other four seasons, Bortles never won more than five games in a single year, never lived up to his draft selection, and led the league in interceptions in 2015 with 18. He has a career completion rate of 59.3 percent and a passer rating of 80.6.

Bortles spent the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Rams as the backup to Jared Goff and spent time with Denver last season.

There is some familiarity between Bortles and this Green Bay Packers offense which is likely a big reason behind this signing. Current Packers offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett was Bortles OC in Jacksonville, while there is plenty of overlap between the Matt LaFleur offense and what Sean McVay of the Rams runs—that hopefully will make the transition smoother.

At a minimum, Bortles would give Green Bay a needed camp body, but he’s also another experienced quarterback on the practice field and in the film room for Jordan Love to work alongside of. By no means is it Bortles’ job to help with the development of Love, but having that added experience around doesn’t hurt either.

And I guess if you want to look at the dooms day scenario where Rodgers isn’t under center come Week 1, then Green Bay has an experienced quarterback to lean on. Although at this point, I still believe it’s the former rather than the latter.