Could Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium be the moment Jordan Love states his case as the future at quarterback for the Green Bay Packers?
Love, the team’s 2020 first-round pick, will start against the Chiefs in place of Aaron Rodgers, who is going on the league’s COVID-19 reserve list after testing positive on Wednesday.
Love has appeared in two games and thrown seven total passes this season, but he’s never started a regular season game. He was the starter for two preseason games in August. His first regular season start will come against Patrick Mahomes and the defending AFC champions.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday will be a “great opportunity” for Love to “showcase what he can do” as a player.
“I think he’s excited about the opportunity and I think he’ll prepare the right way and give it everything he has,” LaFleur said.
The Packers are 7-1 and rolling, and no one in the building is excited about losing Rodgers, the reigning the MVP. But a chance to see Love in a big game and tough environment could be a valuable evaluation opportunity for everyone involved.
Remember, the Packers’ quarterback situation past this season remains a beautiful mystery.
Love’s moment is reminiscent of Rodgers replacing an injured Brett Favre in a primetime game against the Dallas Cowboys in November of 2007. He nearly led the Packers back, and in the process, proved to a lot of people – including himself – that he could play at a high level. The next summer, the team stood behind Rodgers as the new starter as Favre retired and then unretired.
With Rodgers out for Sunday and possibly even next Sunday, Love has a chance to show his team he can be a high-caliber player at the game’s most importation position.
While the Packers get to see Love operate every day on the practice field and in meetings, a start in a regular season game against a quality opponent is a whole new test. The team’s decision-makers will be watching closely, especially with Rodgers’ future uncertain past 2021.
If Love plays well and shows promise, like Rodgers in Dallas in ’07, the Packers will feel much better about the long-term stability of the quarterback position regardless of whether or not Rodgers wants to stay past this season.
Over two preseason appearances, Love completed 24 of 35 passes for 271 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He has been the primary backup behind Rodgers all season.
Without diving too far into hyperbole, Love’s start against the Chiefs could eventually play a big role for the Packers as the team inches closer to an upcoming fork in the road at the quarterback position.
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