Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell told reporters on Friday that they’ve yet to decide whether or not to pick up QB Blake Bortles‘ fifth-year option, via Michael DiRocco.
Jacksonville has until May 3 to decide whether to do so or not.
The fifth-year option would run the Jaguars around $22.36 million for the 2018 season, but is guaranteed only for injury and won’t prevent them from working on a long-term extension over the next year.
It’s obviously disappointing to use a No. 3 pick on a quarterback and then not pick up his fifth-year option, but Bortles hasn’t lived up to expectations and is coming off of a 2016 season in which he struggled mightily.
Bortles, 24, was taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Jaguars back in 2014. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $20,654,796 rookie contract and stands to make a base salary of $3,236,565 for the 2017 season.
In 2016, Bortles appeared in all 16 games and threw for 3,905 yards while completing 58.9 percent of his passes to go along with 23 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 28 quarterback out of 34 qualifying players.
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