JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Blake Bortles is the best quarterback value in the NFL.
When Bortles signed a one-year deal with the Rams on Tuesday, terms weren’t announced.
On Wednesday, that amount was reported to be $1 million. Yes, the player the Jaguars gave a three-year, $54 million contract extension to in 2018 signed for $1 million, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Put that in perspective.
Only 14 quarterbacks are set to earn less than Bortles this season, according to Spotrac. Those are guys like Kansas City’s E.J. Manuel ($805,000), Seattle’s Paxton Lynch ($645,000) and Jacksonville’s Tanner Lee ($480,000), basically guys you’d feel comfortable running the scout team or backing up someone in the AAF.
Even with Bortles’ well-documented struggles with the Jaguars, $1 million for a quarterback with 103 career touchdown passes and 73 career starts to his credit is an exceptional value.
Don’t feel too bad for Bortles, though.
While he may only be pocketing $1 million from the Rams, he was already getting paid $6.5 million this season from the Jaguars, part of the $26.5 million in guarantees, courtesy of his last contract. Offsets mean the Jaguars will now owe Bortles $5.5 million this year.