Nov 10, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Blake Bortles (5) warms up before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Bortles is back in the news and it’s not because there’s a The Good Place reunion special in the works.

The former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback has been making the rounds as a backup for the last few years, bouncing between the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints. While he didn’t see any playing time with the Saints last season, he did sign a reserve/future contract with them in January.

However, that was before the team re-signed Jameis Winston to a big deal and brought in Andy Dalton to back him up. That essentially left Bortles without much room to ever play, if he even makes the cut. So, he’s asked the Saints for his release and that has been granted.

“Blake Bortles asked for and will receive his release from the Saints today after their signing of Andy Dalton, per league source,” wrote Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

Bortles’ days as a starter and even as a regular contributor are likely over. However, his experience does make him a very solid pick to be a backup quarterback and presumably, he’ll have the chance to get a better opportunity than what he would have gotten deep on the Saints roster this season.

A five-year starter for the Jaguars, Bortles has a 24-49 record and has thrown for 103 touchdowns and 75 interceptions. He is and perhaps will always be best known as the favorite player of Jason Mendoza, a goofball character from Jacksonville on The Good Place.

Seeing Bortles’ name back in the news certainly kicked up some interesting reactions around the NFL world. Many were calling for him to come back to the Jaguars for some reason. Others noted that Bortles played for Denver head coach Nate Hackett while he was OC at Green Bay.

[Adam Schefter]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.