Report: Saints release QB Blake Bortles at his request following Andy Dalton signing
Blake Bortles was granted his release from New Orleans.
Bortles asked the Saints to cut him on Tuesday, and the team followed through, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Bortles’ request came shortly after the Saints signed Andy Dalton to back up starter Jameis Winston.
Blake Bortles asked for and will receive his release from the Saints today after their signing of Andy Dalton, per league source. At the age of 29, with 73 starts and 103 TD passes on his resume, Bortles is looking for a better opportunity to be a No. 2 quarterback elsewhere.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 5, 2022
The Saints signed Dalton to a one-year, $3 million deal late last month. Dalton, the longtime Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, was with the Chicago Bears last season. He was supposed to back up Justin Fields, but he made six starts and appeared in eight games due to injuries. New Orelans will mark Dalton’s fourth team in the league.
Bortles, clearly, doesn’t want to be dropped to a third-string quarterback behind both Dalton and Winston. So, he’s going to try his luck elsewhere.
Bortles hasn’t played since 2019, when he briefly made it into three games for the Los Angeles Rams. The former No. 3 overall pick led the Jacksonville Jaguars for five seasons, and threw for more than 17,600 yards and 103 touchdowns over that span.
He’s bounced around since his time with the Rams, and briefly joined the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers before landing in New Orleans.
Though the 29-year-old may not be a starting quarterback in the league right now, he’s definitely a quality backup option.
At least, that’s what Bortles is banking on. Only time will tell if a team feels the same way.