NFL: Jaguars Put Bortles on the Bank

The Jacksonville Jaguars will put quarterback Blake Bortles on the bench this weekend. Replacement Cody Kessler will start against the Indianapolis Colts.

Head Coach Doug Marrone announced the swap on Monday, only a few hours earlier the team already announced the separation from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jaguars recently lost seven games in a row and have a score of 3-8.

“I’m making this switch to give us a chance to win a football game,” Marrone said. “Cody knows the offense and I’ve explained to him what’s expected of him.”

But Marrone didn’t want to turn away completely from Bortle: “Whenever you lose, it’s not just one person. Everyone is jointly responsible.”

Kessler last played in Week 7 in a flop against the Houston Texans when he took over for Bortles during the game. Kessler came in the offseason from the Cleveland Browns, where he was temporarily active as a starter.

Bortles, on the other hand, had only signed a new three-year contract worth 54 million dollars in spring, of which 26.5 million are guaranteed. Bortles was the third pick overall in Draft 2014.