Tom Coughlin hedges on commitment to Blake Bortles as quarterback

Jacksonville Jaguars vice president Tom Coughlin didn’t exactly give quarterback Blake Bortles a ringing endorsement on Friday.

Coughlin would only say that Bortles, like everyone else, has a lot of work to do – particularly in cutting down turnovers.

“There’s plenty of work for everybody to do, Blake included,” Coughlin said Friday, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN. “To raise the game to a higher level, it takes all components, though. … And that’s why I mentioned the protection, first of all. [It also entails] people being in the right place at the right time, the timing, taking care of the football, which is paramount to that position.

“There can be no way the ball is turned over to that extent, so I think he’d be the first one to say that he has a lot of work to do. But we all have a lot of work to do, so I’m going to put it that way.”

Coughlin had previously backed Bortles as quarterback, but perhaps he’s reconsidered his stance. Ultimately, though, unless they get involved in the draft or the Jimmy Garoppolo trade market, there aren’t really any replacements that aren’t just veteran retreads. Bortles will probably get another shot, but it may be the last one he gets.