It’s been a while since football fans have heard from former NFL quarterback Blake Bortles, who’s been out of the league for almost two full years now.
Last October, Bortles announced his retirement from football in rather quiet fashion. Drafted third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014, Bortles spent eight years in the NFL — five of them in Duval County.
Per a report from Barstool Sports, Bortles has decided to work with the construction crew that is building his new home in an undisclosed location in Florida. It was noted that Bortles grew “so bored” in his post-football life that he joined the construction team.
Bortles’ best statistical season came on a woeful Jacksonville team in 2015, when he threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. Two seasons later, Bortles helped the Jaguars to a surprise AFC Championship Game appearance, where they dropped a 24-20 heartbreaker to the New England Patriots.
In the 2018 offseason, Bortles was handed a three-year contract extension worth $54 million. Jacksonville jumped out to a 2-0 start, headlined by a statement win at home over the Patriots in Week 2.
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But Bortles’ play inexplicably declined from there, and he went 1-9 as the starter the rest of the way. The Jaguars released Bortles in 2019, and he spent the next three years as a journeyman backup QB before retiring.
Here’s how social media reacted to Bortles’ new career change:
