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The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a serious pickle this season, as they’ve built a roster that looks ready to contend right now, save for one serious issue. Just the small matter of who will be their starting quarterback, the most important position in all of sports.
Blake Bortles, the former third overall pick for the team, entered the offseason as the unquestioned starter. Since the pads have come on and live fire has begun, Bortles has been unquestionably awful, and as a result, the Jags are now in dire straits and must turn to a man they do not fully understand: Chad Henne, who has backed up Bortles for the past three seasons will get the nod to start at quarterback against the Carolina Panthers in preseason game number three.
Here we go: The #Jaguars will start QB Chad Henne at QB vs the #Panthers
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2017
Head coach Doug Marrone had been openly frustrated with Bortles throughout training camp and preseason, as has the Jaguars receiving corps (NSFW language):
Allen Robinson not happy with QB Blake Bortles "F***ing keep that sh**t in bounds bro" pic.twitter.com/zcg9m1tInO
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) August 15, 2017
Following the build up in tension surrounding the situation, Marrone noted that he had a plan with regards to the position:
“I’ve got a plan,” Marrone said. “I don’t want to discuss it because I still have to discuss it with them. Plus, I’ve still got another practice. I want to make sure I tell the quarterbacks with what I feel is a good amount of time to get themselves prepared. I want to get all the information and I want to make sure of the direction I’m going and that I’m doing what’s best for the team.”
The plan has become public; Henne is the starter moving forward, which will send a few ripples throughout the league. This could mean a potential landing spot has finally opened up for Colin Kaepernick, or at least it will when Henne has thrown a few passes and that dream comes crashing down.
Either way, one team that has to be licking their chops is the Baltimore Ravens. They get Jacksonville in a Week 3 London tilt, and whether it’s Bortles, Henne, Kaepernick, or Leonard Fournette in a bizarre wildcat formation, the defense will be raring to get after the quarterback in their first ever international matchup.
With that in mind, keep an eye on this situation moving forward as a win over the Jags will be crucial to getting off on the right foot in 2017 for Baltimore. All signs point to the Ravens being favored in that game, but as always, a lot can happen between now and then.