Sean Mannion rode the bench for the majority of his Rams tenure, appearing in only one game the last two seasons. The Rams haven’t given their backup quarterbacks much run since Jared Goff arrived, and that’ll remain the case in 2019.
Despite relying on their backup quarterback very little, the Rams made it a point to sign Blake Bortles this offseason. Bortles was released by the Jaguars and quickly scooped up by the Rams, who gave him $1 million for one year.
After the signing was made official, Sean McVay praised Bortles’ experience in big games and his ability to step in for Goff if needed. The Rams hope they don’t need Bortles to play much at all next season, but he brings value on the field and in the locker room as a veteran.
After Tuesday’s organized team activities session, McVay talked about Bortles and how he’s looked thus far.
“He’s done a good job. He’s one of those guys that when you get around and talk to him, he’s got a nice presence about him,” McVay said. “You hear him call plays in the huddle, there’s a command, there’s a certain confidence that he exudes. He’s a guy that’s played a lot of football, so I think he’s done a really good job of working with Zac Robinson, working with Shane [Waldron], getting up to speed on some of the things we’re doing offensively.”
Bortles will be the No. 2 quarterback this offseason, barring injury, and his relationship with Goff is strong. They’re friends off the field and can help each other in the quarterback room, pushing one another to be the best they can.
McVay has come away impressed in OTAs and spring workouts, and he thinks Bortles is only going to get better as time goes on.
“Blake’s come in, he’s done a really good job and I think he’s one of those guys that’s only going to get better as he continues to get more and more comfortable,” McVay added. “And like anything else, you’ve seen a lot of really good things that he’s put on tape over the course of his career in Jacksonville, and if need be, we’re confident that he’ll perform for us as well.”
For $1 million, it was going to be impossible for the Rams to find a better option at backup quarterback for that price. And for Bortles, he now gets a chance to work with McVay and potentially get a Super Bowl ring, even if it is as a backup.
