It is time. Jordan Love is about to take center stage. Albeit a smaller stage. The 26th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is going to be front and center for the Green Bay Packers during the preseason that starts Friday evening when the Packers take on the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
Love has been on a non-stop roller coaster ride since Brian Gutekunst traded up for the Utah State product. Viewed as the “Heir Apparent” to Aaron Rodgers, Love has endured a turbulent start to his career, where every throw has been heavily scrutinized.
Viewed as a toolsy quarterback coming out of Utah State, Love didn’t enjoy a normal offseason during his rookie year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no rookie minicamp. There were virtual team meetings. More importantly, there were no preseason games. Those live reps would have been huge for the growth and confidence of a rookie quarterback.
Things got back to normal for Love during his second year in the league. However, the ups and downs continued.
It started with the controversy surrounding Rodgers. Would he retire? Would the Packers trade him and thrust Love into a starting role? We all know how the story ends, but in the moment it was likely a trying time for Love as he prepared for his second year in the league and his first “normal” offseason.
Love started his first preseason game against the Houston Texans before he got knocked out of the game after hurting his shoulder. That injury to his shoulder forced him to miss valuable practice reps and more importantly the second preseason game.
As Love sets to embark on his third year in the league, all reports are that the former first-round pick has looked more confident and in command of the offense.
“I think he’s much more in rhythm,” Matt LaFleur said. “I think there’s more decisiveness. I think you see it in his footwork, and he’s not getting what I call ‘stuck’ at the top of the drop, where both feet are hitting at the same time, and he’s just kind of sitting there. It just looks more rhythmical, just looks more fluid, and I think it’s translated in his play. I think he’s definitely thrown the ball pretty accurately and has made pretty good decisions.”
During his first preseason, Rodgers completed 54 percent of his passes and threw one touchdown and two interceptions. In his second season, Rodgers threw three touchdowns, and one interception, while completing 57 percent of his passes. It was in…
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