Former third overall draft pick Blake Bortles has a new home after signing with the Denver Broncos. Head coach Vic Fangio and staff looked to Bortles to add depth to the QB room, which also has after the teams had its starter knocked out for an extended amount of time.
Starting quarterback Drew Lock was lost for three to five weeks with an injury to his throwing shoulder during a week that featured several high-profile, major injuries.
Second-year signal-caller Brett Rypien is on the team’s practice squad as well.
Denver lost to Pittsburgh by a 26-21 final and dropped to 0-2 on the season.
Since 2014, 82 QBs have thrown at least 200 passes in the NFL.
Blake Bortles ranks 59th among them in passer rating (80.4). Jeff Driskel is 61st (80.2). Between them is Austin Davis, who was a Broncos backup in 2016 (80.4).
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 22, 2020
Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel went 18 of 34 for 256 yards while tossing two touchdowns and one interception.
In Week 1, the Broncos lost to the Tennessee Titans 16-14.
The team also lost its top receiving threat in Courtland Sutton. Sutton missed the opener but returned in Week 2 only to suffer torn knee ligaments which will knock him out for the season.
Jeff Driskel, Blake Bortles were high school crosstown rivals in Orlando suburb of Oviedo. Senior Bortles’ Oviedo HS beat junior Driskel’s Hagerty HS, 55-14 in 2009.
Sophomore Driskel’s Hagerty beat junior Bortles’ Oviedo, 35-28 in 2008.
Soon-to-be QB duo in Denver. #9sports— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) September 22, 2020
Lock looked good in Week 1, albeit in defeat, going 22 for 33 and throwing for 216 yards and a score.
Blake Bortles has played six NFL seasons after the Jacksonville Jaguars took him third in the 2014 NFL Draft. Five seasons were spent with the Jags, while his last was in L.A. for the Rams.
Bortles has 17,649 career passing yards on 59.3 percent passing. His 103-to-75 touchdown-to-interception ratio, though, might be most responsible for his extended availability.
