Is Blake Bortles the boat?

Quarterback Blake Bortles recently announced his retirement on the Pardon My Take podcast.

The quarterback rose to the top of the 2014 NFL Draft thanks to his exceptional junior year at Central Florida. During that time, he was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year and won the 2014 Fiesta Bowl MVP award.

Bortles started 73 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars. When Jacksonville went 10-6 in 2017 and advanced to the AFC Championship game, he served as the team's signal-caller.

In his five seasons with Jacksonville, he threw for 17,646 yards with 103 touchdowns and 75 interceptions. Mark Brunell is the only Jaguar ahead of him in terms of touchdowns, yards, and interceptions.

In January 2018, Bortles led the Jaguars to the AFC Championship game at the height of his fame. He was, however, benched and released within the next season in favor of Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.

Nevertheless, Bortles' interviews and charisma will be remembered in Jags lore.

Following his time with Jacksonville, Bortles also played for the Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Rams.

Now that he's retired, let's revisit how he got the nickname "the BOAT".

---

Blake Bortles and 'The BOAT' moniker

Blake Bortles got the 'BOAT' moniker (Best Of All Time) because many people think he's one of the best in history at the quarterback position.

'BOAT' revealed to Barstool Sports that if he weren't playing football, he would probably be working in construction. That made the nickname stick.

Blake Bortles responded as follows when asked in 2018 what he thought about the nickname "the BOAT":

"I've never really liked nicknames. Most of the time folks just refer to me as Blake. However, nearby players and coaches simply refer to me as 5. I enjoy that."

According to Barstool Sports, Bortles made the decision to retire from football months ago but kept it a secret until he was questioned on the show.

"I didn't inform anybody that I was retired. So, I suppose you guys are perhaps the first to hear it in public."

Nevertheless, he left room for a comeback, promising to do so if the price was tempting.

When the Green Bay Packers had to put quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Reserve/COVID-19 list last year, Bortles joined them. Despite not playing a snap for the team, it technically made them the last side he played for.