Now that Aaron Rodgers is officially gone, we can safely say that this should be the summer of “Love,” in Green Bay, as Jordan Love will be taking over Rodgers job as quarterback of the Packers. Let’s take a closer look at what we know about the young man’s play, up to now.
Closing an Era and opening a New Chapter
Jordan Love will have his work cut out for him. Not many quarterbacks can compare to Aaron Rodgers in football today. With two recent MVP awards, we can imagine that his career in New York should take an upward trend, after a difficult season in 2022. Anyone will admit that Rodgers was special in every way, on and off the field. The pandemic saw him stand up for his beliefs, to the pleasure of some and the hatred of many, especially journalists who weren’t so tender with him in their comments, as they painted him black, in many instances.
It is not hard to imagine who would win on an airsoft field, though, if he went to war with all those that pointed a harsh finger at him. It is easy to imagine Rodgers running around the battlefield with an AK47 bought at the airsoft store TaiwanGun, firing at all his critics until he made sure he won the game all by himself. Because that was what Rodgers could do: win games through his will (and his arm, of course). This should make Love’s job that much harder, as he will have to close an era and open a new chapter in the Packers history. Let’s not forget who came before Rodgers, as well. A certain Brett Favre…
Three Years on the Team but Not Much to show For
What do we know about Jordan Love, as he enters into his third year on the team? Not much would definitely be a fair assessment. We can confirm that being picked by the Packers is what started the troubles between the team and their famous ex-QB. Rodgers was clear about it, the moment it happened. That is something to take in account, as it must have been a difficult situation for Jordan Love, in the locker room. However, Love never spoke out or criticized anyone’s behaviour, through the whole process. That in itself shows character, which is something that he will need, if he wants to lead the team on the field, throughout the whole season coming up. Some of the players will be happy to be Rodgers-free, but others will not. His role will be to gather everyone together and convince them to let bygones be bygones. His hard-working routine should definitely help in this way, as it enables him to lead by example.
What has He accomplished with the Packers Up to Now?
We have to go back to 2021 to witness the arrival of Love on the field, for his first Packers game. Against Kansas City, he had his ups and down, but showed great promise, even in the plays that he actually missed. Against Patrick Mahomes, he managed to look good, which is not easy, as we saw the pro bring his team all the way to the Super Bowl and win it, for a second time. It was a first indication that Love could hold his ground. Last year, Love played in one game against the Lions. In that game, he finished with 195 yards, 1 touchdown and a quarterback rating of 82. Nothing that screams “exceptional.” His accumulated total stat line for his first two years is: 60.2% completion (83 attempted and 50 completed) with a QBR of 79.7. In other words, things can only get better for Love, in 2023.
Why did the Packers pick Love at the Draft?
To really understand Love’s potential, you need to look back at the scouting reports pre-draft, in 2020. His stature is what stands out first. At 6-4 and 225 pounds, he was already an imposing young man on football fields. But what really differentiated him from other QBs available at the time, was the strength of his arm. He can throw the ball at high speed and with great precision. Although he is not the fastest QB in the game today, he still can run the ball well, thanks to his ability when he gets out of the pocket. Everyone agrees that he is built to become a great quarterback, if he continues to develop well. Now, we have to wait for the pre-season to open, in order to see if he is ready to go, or if the Packers still need to look for a new QB. That latest option is highly improbable, though.