Blaine Gabbert knows about "Blame Gabbert."
The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback is well aware of the Yahoo! Sports report that included anonymous quotes from team officials that questioned his abilities and intangibles.
As you might imagine, the criticism didn't sit well with the former first-round draft pick.
"It pissed me off quite a bit, just because you learn to trust your coaches because you spend so much time with them," Gabbert told Jaguars.com in his first public comments since the end of the season. "That's starting now. April 2 through whenever your last game is, you're with them countless hours every day, six or seven days a week. You learn to value their opinion, trust it. It's a close-knit grip.
"When you have an anonymous source saying something that couldn't be further from the truth, it pisses me off. Like I always said, 'Put your name on it.' If you're going to say something to the media, say it to me. Say who said it. No need to hide behind a computer screen or an anonymous source name when you're trying to make a point."
Gabbert said the comments provide no extra motivation as he attempts to hold on to the Jaguars' starting job.
"When it's not the truth, it doesn't really motivate me, although you do have external motivators," he said. "You want to prove every person wrong who says you can't do your job at a high level. We're just competitive guys. That's what makes this job fun."
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He's putting up the front he needs to, but Gabbert must feel like the walls are closing in. The leadership that drafted him is history, and reports about the Jaguars exploring other options at quarterback are free-flowing.
The Jaguars say they still believe in Gabbert. Evidence is mounting in the opposite direction.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
