Although his head coach and teammates came to his defense, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love said he believes the brief skirmish during Friday’s joint practice with the Denver Broncos was the result of a friendly fire incident.
Coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers weren’t pleased after it was believed Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonnito hit Love’s arm during 11-on-11 work. In practice, hitting the quarterback in any way is off limits. It’s especially off limits in a joint practice.
But Love believes the hit on his throwing arm actually came from right tackle Zach Tom.
“I was going to throw and I think Zach Tom got pushed and hit my shoulder,” Love said post-practice. “I don’t think it was anything with the D-line or anything like that. I think just friendly fire.”
Love’s arm got hit as he was throwing, resulting in a fluttering throw and an easy interception for a Broncos defender.
Love wasn’t 100 percent sure it was Tom — “I gotta see it on film,” he said — but he understands the strong reaction from the coaching staff and teammates after seeing him get hit.
“I think a lot of guys didn’t really see it and know what happened,” Love said. “We make it a big point to stay away from the quarterback, so they might’ve thought the D-lineman hit my arm or something like that, which I don’t think happened.”
You be the judge. Here’s video of the play from a Broncos fan in attendance:
Nik Bonitto FORCES an interception to Alex Singleton. Temper flared after this and a fight broke out. pic.twitter.com/TosOgkph2S
— Jake Goetz (@broncosnews303) August 16, 2024
Love might have it wrong. Either way, the Packers don’t want any close calls on a quarterback who just signed a $220 million contract extension.
While Love was intercepted on a busted play, the Packers No. 1 offense struggled for much of the joint practice.
Love said the Packers offense wanted to “push the limit” and “test the water” on a few plays but admitted they missed a few plays too. Training camp practices are for trying new things and understanding what needs to get done for plays or throws to work when the games matter.
“It wasn’t our best day productivity wise,” Love said. “We’ll be able to go back and watch the film and learn from these opportunities.”
Hear more from Love below: