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Tom Coughlin: Bortles is QB for Jaguars 'right now'

The biggest question for the Jacksonville Jaguars heading into March remains the future of the quarterback position.

Blake Bortles remains on the books at the moment with most expecting the Jags to jettison the signal-caller and eat the $16.5 million in dead money.

The release hasn't happened, yet.

Speaking with Ben Becker of Action News in Jacksonville during a charity event for The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, the Jags' executive vice president was asked about the future of Bortles.

"Blake is the quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars right now," Coughlin responded, via ESPN 690 AM.

The "right now" addendum is the key part of the response.

The clipped response is likely due to the fact that before the new league year opens on March 13, that "right now" should turn to "no longer" -- it's also a product of speaking with a reporter at a charity event where the EVP isn't going to be pressed on the subject in a brief interview.

Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell must be kicking themselves for handing Bortles a three-year extension with $26.5 million in guarantees last February, which was stunning (and unnecessary) at the time and looks even worse a calendar year later.

The Jags now must admit their sunk cost is a lost investment and move on from Bortles.

Jacksonville has been the team most commonly linked with adding former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, who looks set to hit the free agent market and has familiarity with new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.

Coughlin giving a politically correct, non-response when asked about Bortles is not stunning in the least for the longtime former NFL coach. Any decision on Bortles other than his outright release within the next three weeks would be face-meltingly shocking.

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