7 other backup quarterback options for the Vikings to consider for 2022
By Adam Patrick
Blake Bortles
- Current Status: Free agent
It’s been almost four years since Blake Bortles last attempted a pass in a regular-season NFL game. However, that pass attempt came as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Minnesota’s new head coach Kevin O’Connell, of course, spent the last two years working under Rams head coach Sean McVay as Los Angeles’ offensive coordinator.
The new offense that O’Connell is installing for the Vikings this year is expected to feature many elements of McVay’s offensive scheme. So with this being the case, it wouldn’t be as difficult for someone like Bortles to come in as a new backup with only a few weeks left before the start of the regular season.
Bortles began his career with the Jaguars after he was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent five years in Jacksonville where he started 73 games, threw for over 17,000 yards and 100 touchdowns, and helped the team earn a spot in the 2017 AFC Championship.
By adding Bortles, Minnesota would be getting someone who would already be familiar with the new offense and someone who has actually won multiple games as a starter in the NFL, unlike Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond.