Blake Bortles is an interesting feller. Before the 2017 season, he was the co-favorite to be the first quarterback benched. Fast-forward a few months and he was just a few minutes away from heading to the Super Bowl.
However, just as the case was with the NFC Championship loser, one sportsbook has posted odds on who will be the starting QB for the Jaguars next season.
- Blake Bortles +150
- Chad Henne +900
- 2018 Draft Pick +700
- Any Other Player +140
Look at that…only takes a couple playoff wins and a near de-hooving of the GOAT to be a slight odds-on prop favorite. What a roller-coaster life for the owner of a Wikipedia Reading Club and state of the art cryptocurrency that is en route to the moon.
GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT! #BortCoin@DraftKings#Jaguarspic.twitter.com/c6kkVd6Beg
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) January 14, 2018
Even though the Jags far exceeded expectations, Bortles really didn't have a great year on paper. For the most part, his passing statistics ranked in the lower half of the league. If it wasn't for his Michael Vick-esque scrambling abilities, there wouldn't be much to write home about him.
Blake Bortles doesn't get enough credit for how good a runner he is. Highest career yards per carry in NFL history, minimum 200 carries:
7.00 Michael Vick
6.47 Bobby Douglass
6.36 Randall Cunningham
6.31 Blake Bortles
6.17 Greg Landry
6.13 Colin Kaepernick
6.07 Robert Griffin III— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 27, 2017
Also, unlike the situation up in Minnesota, Bortles is under contract for the 2018 season. One of three things would need to happen for him to not start.
He could get hurt, they could trade him, or someone would have to beat him out in the preseason, which seems impossible given how far they made it this year. I'm investing in BortCoin right stat now.
The second best odds belong to the field at +140. There had been some Eli Manning-Tom Coughlin reunion talks in the works after Manning was benched, but those have since simmered down. With the free agent market providing slim pickings, this option doesn't make a ton of sense for such a low payout.
At +700, you can bank on a draft pick of theirs taking over. Like I mentioned before, you'd basically either be banking on a Bortles trade or injury for this to happen. I'm not sure how any pick would be impressive enough for them to bench Bortles in Week 1.
Last but not least, you have Chad Henne at +900. Henne, who is set to enter free agency, started for the Jags for parts of 2012, '13, and '14, but has been the backup since Bortles took over. As a matter of fact, Henne was considered one of the best backups this year in terms of his value to the spread. Also on this list…Case Keenum, Jimmy G, and our very own Matt Moore.
Photo via Greg M. Cooper – USA TODAY Sports
