What a difference a year makes.
Last May, the Green Bay Packers had no idea what to expect from an offense led by a first-year starting quarterback. Not to mention, the quarterback was surrounded by wide receivers and tight ends who were mostly rookies or players entering their second seasons.
Naturally, the defense dominated most practices, but Jordan Love and his supporting cast eventually started to catch on.
By the end of the season, rookie wideouts Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks were legitimate weapons at the team’s disposal. Meanwhile, both rookie tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft grew more comfortable with their roles in the offense. The Packers ended up finishing with the 11th-ranked offense and not only went on to make the playoffs but defeated the two-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.
A year later, practicing with a more experienced and battle-tested group is entirely different for Love.
“It’s night and day,” said Love. “Last year, you have a lot of guys, young receivers, that are learning the playbook. The timing and chemistry is just not really there yet. We go out there today, and it’s just night and day. Guys know exactly where they’re going to be at. We have so much chemistry from last year and built up reps…it’s definitely a big difference.”
During Tuesday’s OTA practice that was open to the media, Love came out red hot during the 7-on-7 period, completing his first six passes and then tossing a 60-yard touchdown to Samori Toure.
Of course, players do not wear pads during OTA practices, as they are trying to avoid injury while getting accustomed to the playbook. However, it’s clear that the vibes are different around this Green Bay team. Love has emerged as an established leader on and off the field, and he is surrounded by guys who did a lot of growing up last season and expect to hit the ground running in a way they didn’t in 2023.
Hear more from Love below: