Blake Bortles to Start for Jaguars over Cody Kessler vs. Texans

The Jacksonville Jaguars will start Blake Bortles at quarterback for their regular season finale against the Houston Texans on Sunday, head coach Doug Marrone announced Wednesday.

Bortles came on for Cody Kessler in the middle of Jacksonville's 17-7 Week 16 win over the Miami Dolphins. He finished 5-of-6 for 39 yards and led the team on a scoring drive in the fourth quarter that ended with Kai Forbath's go-ahead 26-yard field goal.

This could be Bortles' last start in a Jaguars uniform.

Jacksonville benched him ahead of what proved to be a 6-0 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13, with Kessler taking over as the starter. While few expect Kessler to be the long-term option, the decision seemingly signified the Jaguars were ready to move on from Bortles.

After last Sunday's game, Bortles was unsure of what his future holds.

"I don't know. I just work here," he said, per ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco. "I signed up for three years so until those three years are up or until they let me go, I'll play when they need me."

Even if Bortles closes out the year on a high note, one performance is unlikely to change the team's mind if it's set on making a more permanent quarterback change in the offseason.

Bortles' contract does, however, present the Jaguars with an issue. He signed a three-year, $54 million extension in February, so cutting or trading him would be costly.

According to Over the Cap, releasing Bortles before June 1 would save Jacksonville $4.5 million but add $16.5 million to the salary cap in dead money. As a post-June 1 cut, Bortles' departure would save $9.5 million in 2019 but then count for $11.5 million and $5 million in dead money, respectively, over the next two years.

At 5-10, the Jaguars have little to play for in Week 17 aside from possibly spoiling the Houston Texans' chances of clinching an AFC South title. Marrone may see the game as one more chance to get Bortles on the field before Jacksonville goes in a different direction at quarterback in the spring.