What If Trevor Lawrence Is Just Blake Bortles with Better Hair?

Hype vs Reality

Let's rewind.

Blake Bortles was never supposed to be "the guy." When Jacksonville took him third overall in 2014, it was viewed as a reach. He had size, mobility, and raw tools, but scouts were torn on his polish. Meanwhile, Lawrence entered the league as a national champion, a polished technician who looked like he'd been built in a quarterback lab.

And yet-after four seasons, their careers are nearly indistinguishable. 

Stats Comparison

Bortles: 2014-2017

Starts 61

Record as Starter 21-40

TD-INT 90-64

Completion % 59.1%

Passer Rating 80.8

Playoff Appearances 1 (2 wins)

Career Defining Moment 2017 AFC Title Game Run

Lawrence: 2021-2024

Starts 60

Record as Starter 22-38

TD-INT 87-51

Completion % 63.5%

Passer Rating 89.2

Playoff Appearances 1 (1 win)

Career Defining Moment: 27-point comeback vs LAC

While Bortles was clowned mercilessly for his erratic play, Lawrence continues to be praised as a rising star who just needs more time...Despite the same up-and-down trajectory.

Stylistic Similarities

This isn't just about numbers; it's about patterns.

Bortles and Lawrence both started on bad teams with suspect coaching and shaky offensive lines. Both showed brief signs of breaking out. Bortles in 2015 with 35 TDs and Lawrence in 2022 with that late-season surge to the playoffs. Bortles got hot in the playoffs, leading Jacksonville to the AFC Championship, and was a "Myles Jack wasn't down" away from the Super Bowl. 

Lawrence had his magical comeback against the Chargers and was in position in the second half of the divisional game to take Jacksonville back to the AFC Championship. However, both struggled with turnovers, accuracy, under pressure, and decision-making in crunch time. 

And critically, both players have been more "potential" than "production."

Narrative Gap

Here's where it gets dicey.

Bortles was ripped apart by the media and fans alike. Every bad throw became a meme. Every win was labeled a fluke. He became a punchline.

Trevor Lawrence? He's largely been insulated. There is always a reason: bad scheme, injuries, a new coach, drops, timing, whatever. And sure, some of those are valid. But at what point does the "context" stop being a shield?

Would any other young QB with a similar record and resume - say, Justin Fields or Mac Jones - still be treated as a budding star?

Is Lawrence getting a pass because of his college legacy, his looks, or because the league wants him to be elite?

That One Magical Run

Bortles had his moment in 2017: he beat the Bills, stunned the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and nearly upset the Patriots in the AFC Championship. For a month, he was the guy.

Lawrence had his Chargers comeback in 2022-throwing four first-half picks and then storming back for the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history. For a week, he was a legend. 

Both runs were magical. 

Neither led to sustained success.

The Mirror Is Closer Than It Appears

Now, to be clear: Lawrence has the tools that Bortles never had. He's a smoother thrower, slightly better processor, and more refined quarterback prospect, despite his penchant to resemble a baby giraffe at the worst of times, gaining him the nickname from me as The Golden Giraffe. But potential doesn't mean much if the production doesn't follow. If 2025 doesn't show a major leap, under new head coach Liam Coen, then we have to start asking real questions about his ceiling and future in teal. 

Because at some point, being "better than Bortles" isn't the goal.

Being elite is.

Final Thought

Maybe Trevor Lawrence will still become the star so many envisioned. Maybe he finds his stride in Year 5. But right now, there's one uncomfortable truth Jaguars fans should consider:

This might not be a redemption arc. It might just be a reboot.