GREEN BAY – The word of the year for Jordan Love will be balance.
The Packers’ new starting quarterback will have to balance stepping in for Aaron Rodgers without trying to be Rodgers. He’ll have to maintain a steadfast belief and confidence in himself knowing there will be rough moments to fight through. And he’ll have to process all the scrutiny he’ll be subjected to without letting it get to him or affect his game.
Working in Love’s favor, despite just one NFL start and seven quarters of meaningful regular-season football under his belt since being drafted in the first round out of Utah State in 2020, is that he gets all that. The constant balancing act is an accepted part of the deal as the Packers turn over the team to him in 2023 following Rodgers’ long and decorated career in Green Bay.
“No matter where you’re gonna be at, it’s gonna be pressure,” Love said Wednesday in the Lambeau Field auditorium, his first media session since officially becoming the Packers’ starting QB following the trade of Rodgers to the Jets. “You’re an NFL quarterback. There’s only so many of you so everyone’s watching you. Everyone’s watching every move you make on the field.
“So, it’s pressure, but that’s what comes with the position. That’s what I signed up for, that’s what I knew I was getting myself into, and it comes down to me just making the most of that.”
As he attacks the dual task of taking over for a four-time MVP while trying to establish his own extended presence in Green Bay – he worked out a contract extension with the Packers after the draft that gives him essentially two years to prove himself – Love has loads of support, from both the front office and the locker room.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst, who executed the Rodgers trade after some drawn-out negotiations with New York, has said over and over again this offseason that Love is ready to play. Head Coach Matt LaFleur has echoed the sentiment.
Love’s teammates also are declaring they’ll have his back, as they’ve respected the professional way he went about backing up Rodgers for three years while itching to get his opportunity.
“He believes in himself, he cares about everybody around him and we’ve seen him just come in consistently and just work, work, work,” running back Aaron Jones said. “He did it the right way, he waited his time and you never heard one peep or complaint out of him. He has everyone’s full respect and we’re all going to go lay it out on the line for him.”
Jones added that in his…
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