Packers Rumors: Blake Bortles to Sign Contract with Aaron Rodgers Out vs. Chiefs

The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign quarterback Blake Bortles after Aaron Rodgers was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list Wednesday.  

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Bortles is flying to Green Bay on Wednesday with the expectation of joining the team's practice squad. Rodgers has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs under league protocols.

Bortles spent the offseason in Green Bay before being cut in July. The 2014 first-round pick will serve as the backup behind Jordan Love, who will get the start in place of Rodgers.

Bortles split the 2020 season between the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. He has not thrown a regular-season pass since a 2019 stint with the Rams after spending his first five NFL seasons as the Jacksonville Jaguars' starter.

The Packers needed someone who knows their system in a pinch, so Bortles was a natural candidate. He's one snap away from being the quarterback for a 7-1 Packers team that was dealt a major setback Wednesday.

Rodgers will not be eligible to come off the reserve/COVID-19 list until Saturday, Nov. 13. Given that, it seems likely Bortles will be on the roster through at least Week 10's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.