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- Mar 19, 2019
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GREEN BAY – The Packers have added a third quarterback to their offseason roster after signing veteran Blake Bortles.
Bortles, 29, has completed 1,562-of-2,634 passes (59.3%) for 17,649 yards, 103 touchdowns and 75 interceptions (80.6 passer rating) over seven NFL seasons. He also rushed for 1,766 rushing yards on 283 carries with eight TDs.
Prior to Bortles' signing, the Packers had just two quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love) on the roster entering the offseason program.
Here are five things to know about the newest Packers QB:
1. Bortles started 72 straight regular-season games for Jacksonville.
Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, started 72 consecutive regular-season games for the Jaguars after becoming the team's starting quarterback in Week 4 of his rookie season.
In his third full season as the Jaguars' starting QB, Bortles helped lead Jacksonville to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the 2017 AFC Championship Game. The 6-foot-5, 236-pound quarterback owns multiple franchise records, including most passing yards (4,428) and touchdown passes (35) in a single season.
His 17,646 passing yards and 103 career TD passes are second in Jacksonville history to former Packers quarterback Mark Brunell's 25,698 yards and 144 TDs. Bortles is the only QB in Jacksonville history to throw for more than 3,500 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
Bortles' 73 overall starts are third most in team history behind Brunell (117) and David Garrard (76).
2. He has history with Nathaniel Hackett and Marcedes Lewis
Hackett, entering his third season as Green Bay's offensive coordinator, was Bortles' quarterbacks coach from 2015-16 in Jacksonville before being promoted to offensive coordinator late in the 2016 season.
Together, Hackett and Bortles aided the Jaguars in finishing second in red-zone TD percentage (64.0) and a No. 1 league ranking in goal-to-go TD percentage (85.7) during Jacksonville's run to the AFC title game in 2017.
Veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis' final four seasons in Jacksonville coincided with Bortles' first four. Lewis started all 50 games he played for the Jaguars during that stretch, catching 78 passes for 919 yards and eight touchdowns.