Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Blake Bortles

Packers top 5 wide receivers join Aaron Rodgers as no-shows

By

Jordan Love

Not only has quarterback Aaron Rodgers failed to report for the start of the Green Bay Packers voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), but the first workout open to reporters on Tuesday saw the team’s top five veteran receivers skip out as well.

Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Equanimeous St. Brown and Devin Funchess were all missing.  In all, 10 of the 89 players on the roster weren’t on the field for practice.  In addition to Rodgers and the receivers, Jaire Alexander, David Bakhtiari, Ka’dar Hollman and Stanford Samuels were no-shows.  Josiah Deguara, Kevin King and Blake Bortles were present but either didn’t participate or were very limited.

Did the wide receivers fail to show up as a move of solidarity in support of Rodgers?  Coach Matt LaFleur said he recently talked with all five and didn’t feel it was a coordinated effort.  But missing all five certainly seems fishy. [Read more…]

Rodgers a no-show for the start of Packers OTA’s

By

Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers started the third phase of their offseason program, organized team activities and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as expected, was a no-show on Monday.

Rodgers is one of nearly two dozen Packers players that have offseason workout bonuses built into their contracts.  Rodgers has officially missed enough time to make him ineligible for the bonus.

Rodgers and the Packers are at a reported standstill as to whether or not he wants to play for the Packers any longer.  He has spent all 16 years of his NFL career in Green Bay to this point. [Read more…]

Packers add fourth quarterback to the mix

By

Kurt Benkert signs contract

The Green Bay Packers added veteran quarterback Blake Bortles to their roster last week, then signed rookie free agent Kurt Benkert to a contract after he went through the team’s two-day rookie minicamp over the weekend.

Benkert spent the 2018 and 2020 seasons on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad and 2019 on injured reserve.  The Falcons released him in February.

Benkert competed with Chad Kelly during the rookie minicamp before the Packers offered him a contract.

Jordan Love is expected to take part in this week’s rookie development program but wasn’t eligible to participate in the rookie minicamp over the weekend.  By rule, he can join the rookies this week because he played less than 25% of the snaps as a rookie.

Phase 2 of the teams offseason program starts Monday with organized team activities (OTA’s) starting May 24.  Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t expected to report for the voluntary program and to date, nobody’s sure if he’ll be on hand for the team’s mandatory minicamp in early June.

Packers adding veteran QB Blake Bortles

By

The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign veteran quarterback Blake Bortles to a one-year contract.  The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Shefter on Wednesday.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said on draft weekend that the Packers would be looking to add a veteran quarterback and possibly another rookie quarterback to fill out the roster at the position.  Heading into this week, the Packers had just two quarterbacks on their roster with Aaron Rodgers and 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love.

Bortles was the third pick in the 2014 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was the quarterbacks coach and eventually the offensive coordinator for Bortles from 2015 to 2018.  They reached the AFC Championship Game after the 2017 season.

Bortles last played in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams and spent time with the Rams and Broncos as a backup last season.

In 73 career starts, Bortles has a 24-49 record with 103 touchdowns and 75 interceptions.

To date, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t participated in the Packers offseason program.  They’ll start OTA’s on May 24 with the team’s mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 8-10.