Blake Bortles released by Jaguars

Blake Bortles’ career with the Jacksonville Jaguars has come to an end.

The Jags officially released Bortles on Wednesday, which is the first day of the new league year.

We have released QB Blake Bortles. pic.twitter.com/8sbzNYkxMS

— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) March 14, 2019

The move comes two days after the Jags reached a deal with Nick Foles to make him their starting quarterback.

Bortles was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Despite showing some signs of promise, he never materialized into a franchise quarterback. The team’s decision to give him a 3-year, $54 million extension last year was viewed by many as a mistake. Them moving on from him now seems to confirm that. The signs pointing to the two sides parting ways became obvious when Bortles was benched in favor of Cody Kessler midway through the season.

Bortles finishes his Jags career with 103 touchdown passes and 75 interceptions. His bright spots include a 35-touchdown season in 2015 and helping the Jags to a playoff win over the Steelers two seasons ago. He will likely be a desirable backup.