Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell says Blake Bortles is in the team’s long-term plans. Is that truth or simply a convenient answer?
Nobody expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to be in the AFC Championship Game, going toe-to-toe with the New England Patriots. Then again, nobody believed Blake Bortles could play any part in a season that successful, but both team and player proved the world wrong.
On Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that Bortles, who was scheduled to play on a $19 million fifth-year option, signed a contract extension. The deal runs through 2020 with the Florida native set to receive $54 million over its span.
Then, at the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Dave Caldwell told reporters that Bortles wasn’t only viewed the starter of today but the man of Jacksonville’s future. The statement is a vote of confidence in Bortles, but is it truthful?
Looking at the structure of the contract, Bortles is essentially tied to Jacksonville for the next two years. The Jaguars saved $9 million against the cap this season (cap hit going from $19 million to $10 million) while Bortles is on the books for $21 million in 2019. The Jaguars could technically release him before next year, but the dead cap would be $16 million, making it a virtual certainty that won’t happen.
However, the 2020 numbers favor Jacksonville. Bortles is scheduled to receive $23 million, but the Jaguars would save $18 million by releasing him. Essentially, Caldwell is showing enough faith to sign Bortles for two more years, but gave himself the flexibility to walk away afterwards.
Should Bortles play well and continue to show improvement, look for the Jaguars to tear up the contract after two seasons and attempt to sign him for the long haul. The former Central Florida star is only 25 years old, putting him in line for a huge payday by that date, which is the chief reason the deal makes sense for both sides.
Still, Jacksonville presently has a Super Bowl window, and tying it to Bortles is risky. After all, he started December red-hot with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in a trio of wins before throwing five interceptions in two defeats. The playoffs watched Bortles avoid any turnovers in three games, but he also threw for 87 yards in an ugly win over the Buffalo Bills, and completed 14-of-26 attempts for 214 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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The extension of Bortles points to Caldwell believing that other free-agent options were either too pricey (Kirk Cousins) or not enough of an upgrade (Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, A.J. McCarron). Factor in Jacksonville picking 29th in the upcoming draft, and Caldwell’s choice of sticking with Bortles make sense.
In short, Caldwell is betting on Bortles to play well enough to keep Jacksonville in the championship hunt, relying on a superb defense to take it across the finish line. For Bortles, he gets security and a life-changing payday, and if he shines, he’ll be in position to cash in beyond his wildest dreams in 2020.