Former UCF QB Blake Bortles retires from football
Former UCF quarterback Blake Bortles announced his retirement from football on the Pardon My Take podcast.
Bortles told Barstool Sports that he made the decision to hang up his cleats months ago but didn’t tell anyone until this week.
“I have not touched a football since January,” said Bortles, who shined at UCF before being selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft. “I have officially retired.”
After becoming the highest drafted Knight in program history, Bortles spent his first five years in Jacksonville. In 2015, he passed for the most touchdowns (35) and yards (4,428 yards) in a season in franchise history.
In 2017, Bortles led the Jaguars to the AFC Championship, coming one game short of reaching the Super Bowl.
Jacksonville, however, moved on Bortles following the 2018 season after he went 3-9 as starting quarterback.
Bortles also spent time with the L.A. Rams, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. He hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2019.
Last year, Bortles, who attended Oviedo High, was inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame.
He was American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year as a senior in 2013 and led UCF to its first AAC championship that year.
In the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, Bortles guided UCF to a 52-42 win over fifth-rated Baylor.
“I didn’t think there was ever a chance I would play college football,” Bortles said at the time. “I didn’t think much past what my next meal was, so future goals weren’t all that prevalent in my mind.”
He went on to throw for more than 17,000 yards and 103 touchdowns to go with 75 interceptions during his pro career.
Although he’s retired, Bortles told the podcast that he would return to the field if offered a $15 million contract.
“I’m pretty set with where I’m at in the decision,” he said. “I mean, if somebody were dumb enough to offer that kind of money, then it’s kind of hard to pass on.”
For now, he’s done with football. And he’s still paying attention to his alma mater.
“It’s been incredible to watch,” Bortles said last year. “The evolution of the program and the way it’s changed, the way the whole campus has changed, the city around it ... it’s a totally different place.”
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
