Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles is sticking to the same pre-training camp plan that he employed last summer and that means he is headed to California to work with quarterback tutors Tom House and Adam Dedeaux before returning to Jacksonville late next month.
While that approach is the same as the past, the situation waiting for Bortles and the Jaguars is far different in 2018 than it was in 2017. The Jaguars are coming off a division title and two playoff wins that eliminate the underdog label they wore last season while raising the bar on expectations.
“I think from what we did last year, I think the expectations have kind of changed a little bit,” Bortles said, via the Florida Times-Union. “Within the locker room, they were definitely different last year, and I think they are only going to continue to change and grow and get higher. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a good challenge and it will be a good year.”
Bortles faced questions well into camp last year about whether he would remain the team’s starting quarterback, but is in a much more comfortable spot this year. His ability to meet the challenges ahead will determine if that comfort level remains as high as the expectations.