Chad Henne named Jaguars starter over Blake Bortles for preseason Week 3

The third week of the preseason schedule is viewed as a dress rehearsal for teams to finalize regular season preparations. Most starters get limited or no playing time in the fourth game, so Week 3 is an opportunity to figure out what’s going on.

In light of how we view the third preseason game, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made an intriguing decision for it. The team announced that Chad Henne will start at quarterback, and Blake Bortles will serve as his backup.

The Jaguars spent the third overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft on Bortles, and it has not panned out. They exercised their fifth year option on Bortles earlier this year, but they have until next spring to decide if they want to keep Bortles for a fifth year or release him. The option is guaranteed for injury, but not for a skill- or cap-related release.

The San Francisco 49ers host the Jaguars in Week 16, on Christmas Eve. Last Thursday, I asked if Bortles would be the Jaguars starting quarterback when Week 16 arrives. I do think Bortles will remain on the roster, but now I wonder if Henne can be expected to last 16 weeks as the starter. Jacksonville has invested heavily on both sides of the ball, and yet they still have no idea who their quarterback of the future is.