Watch: Blake Bortles Is Confident There Will Always Be People Who Think He Sucks
You have to respect a man that is self aware. So at the very least, that is why we should all respect Blake Bortles.
The Jaguars quarterback has long been a punching bag for NFL fans, players and media who consider him on of the worst starters in the league.
After the Jaguars beat the Texans 45-7 in Week 15, Texans pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney called Bortles "trash". After the Titans beat Jacksonville 15-10 in Week 17 to clinch a playoff spot, Tennessee defensive tackle Jurrell Casey went on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville and said, "as long as Bortles is back there, if the ball game is in his hands, he's going to choke."
And most recently, Titans All-Pro safety Kevin Byard said his goal in Tennessee's Divisional Round game against the Patriots is to make Tom Brady "look like Blake Bortles."
So when asked about how he looks to silence his critics, Bortles gave one of the realest answers he possibly could.
"It will probably never stop," Bortles says. "There's people that think LeBron James sucks, so if that happens, I'm sure there'll be a lot of people that always think I suck."
Where's the lie?
Bortles, who is in his fourth year in the league, tossed for 3,687 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 60.2 percent of his passes and having a career-low 13 interceptions.
On Sunday, Bortles will look to lead Jacksonville to its first AFC Championship game since the 1999 season when the team goes to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Earlier in the season, Bortles went eight-for-14 for 95 yards and a pick when the Jaguars won 30-9 in Pittsburgh.
