Dan Graziano of ESPN confirms reports from over the weekend that the Jaguars are expected to sign QB Nick Foles a multi-year contract next week.

According to Graziano, Jacksonville will release QB Blake Bortles to clear out the starting role for Foles.

Some had wondered if Bortles could be asked to take a pay cut and return as the team’s backup quarterback, but Graziano says that isn’t the expectation at this point in time.

Bortles, 26, was taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Jaguars back in 2014. He played out the final year of his four-year, $20,654,796 rookie contract when the Jaguars picked up his fifth-year option.

However, Jacksonville elected to sign Bortles to a three-year, $54 million contract that included $26.5 million guaranteed last year.

According to OverTheCap.com, releasing Bortles will free up $4.5 million of available cap space while creating $16.5 million in dead money.

In 2018, Bortles has appeared in 13 games for the Jaguars and completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,718 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has also rushed for 365 yards and a touchdown.