Chad Henne takes practice reps with the starters over Blake Bortles

The Jacksonville Jaguars opted to give backup quarterback Chad Henne some reps with the starters today at the end of a practice that saw Blake Bortles throw pick-six interceptions to Paul Posluszny and Tyler Patmon.

When asked if benching Bortles in practice was in response to the multiple interceptions, head coach Doug Marrone said, “Absolutely not. No.”

“Actually, we were coming in, we were looking at the pitch count after yesterday, and we came in today and we felt like, ‘Hey, let’s just rest him.’ So it was basically for rest.”

I don’t believe that. There was no looking at the pitch count. What happened is you were looking at your starting quarterback throw two pick-sixes before practice was halfway over.

I think, at best, there was a decision made before practice that if Bortles looked bad he was getting pulled. But I don’t believe that Henne was getting practice reps today if Bortles was doing well.

It’s too much of a coincidence that Bortles starts off one of his worst days in practice and that he’s benched because he needs rest. They had a day off yesterday. He threw five passes against the Patriots. One of the ways in which Marrone has asserted himself is by harder, more physically intense practices. And now all of a sudden you’re giving your quarterback a rest day after his day off?

Again, I don’t believe it.

Who gets benched in practice? The No. 3 overall pick in the draft, that’s who.