JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Last year, as the Jaguars season rolled on, we heard more and more of Blake Bortles teammates defending him and calling out critics of the Jags quarterback. Free agent addition Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been working with Bortles this off-season and was asked Monday if the national perception of Bortles matches what Seferian-Jenkins has seen since arriving in Jacksonville.
"I know quarterbacks are drafted to win Super Bowls and win playoff games and win big games, and he's done that. He's made that progression," Seferian-Jenkins said. "I think the perception is wrong. So they can say whatever they want about it. They can say negative things, but Blake's gonna keep going back there. He's going keep making throws, and when he needs to run, he's going to run."
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Seferian-Jenkins, who joined the Jaguars after playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets in his first four years in the NFL, said he thinks Bortles proved what he was made of late last season and into the playoffs.
"He's going to do what it takes to win," Seferian-Jenkins said. "That's what you want in a quarterback: A guy that wants to win and does the job every single day, and if he messes up, he's gonna go out there and sling it again. He's not timid at all, and that's what I want in a quarterback. That's what we need in a quarterback. I'm thankful and I'm happy we have Blake Bortles here."
Last year, as the Jaguars made their run to the AFC championship game, teammates, including several on the defensive side of the ball, were vocal in their praise of Bortles. Seferian-Jenkins took note.
"Perception and reality are different. People can think whatever they think. I don’t care," Seferian-Jenkins said. "I don’t think you should care what people think about you if you know who you are as a person. I know Blake knows what type of quarterback he is. I think he is a hell of a quarterback."