Blake Bortles has a fairly valid reason for not reading or listening to what other people are saying about him.
As the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback fights to get back the confidence of his coaching staff, the former first-round pick says it is in his best interest not to pay attention to media pointing out his struggles.
"Whether you think you are as mentally strong as you can possibly be, if you read negative stuff about yourself long enough, there’s no way to not believe it," Bortles said before Saturday’s practice, according to John Reid of Florida Times-Union. "I don't watch cable sports news channels and I got to stay off social media and all that stuff because it does nothing for you.
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"Anything you guys say, I have no idea. I think it’s all I can do is go out there and go earn, prove and show them with each play I can do it and I can consistently do it."
Bortles was chastised for his poor performance Thursday night, completing 8-of-13 passes for 65 yards, and has entered a quarterback competition with veteran Chad Henne. Head coach Doug Marrone says he wants to see how Bortles handles the challenge before making the next decision.
"It’s just comes down to how I handle it, departmentalize it and how I’m able to function with all that’s going on," Bortles said.
