CHARACTER COUNTS

Bortles Foundation gets contribution from Bengals fans after Steelers loss

Jan 16, 2018, 12:42 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) scrambles out of the pocket during the second ha...

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) scrambles out of the pocket during the second half of an NFL divisional football AFC playoff game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

(AP Photo/Don Wright)

While the Cincinnati Bengals did not qualify for the playoffs, fans are still celebrating the season of giving more than two weeks into the new year.

In just his second career playoff start, Blake Bortles took the Jacksonville Jaguars into Pittsburgh and won 45-42, ending the Steelers season. Bengals fans took notice of the performance against their rival and decided to thank the third-year quarterback.

Donations amounting to nearly $5,000 have been made to the Blake Bortles Foundation following the result of the game. The foundation supports children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as first responders in Jacksonville and Oviedo.

“Fans are at the core of the football experience and it’s truly exciting and rewarding when they band together, regardless of the team they cheer for, to make a positive impact in the lives of others,” Bortles told First Coast News. “I greatly appreciate the support displayed by Bengals fans and they should know their support will make a difference.”

This is not the first time the Bengals have acted charitably between NFL teams. The Buffalo Bills ended a 17-year playoff drought after Cincinnati beat Baltimore in Week 17. Bills fans responded by donating $345,000 to the Andy Dalton Foundation.

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Bortles Foundation gets contribution from Bengals fans after Steelers loss