The Green Bay Packers are on one of the most unprecedented runs in NFL history. After striking gold by trading a first round pick for Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre in 1992, they drafted another all-time great in Aaron Rodgers in 2005. Of course, there have been other instances in NFL history of a team having back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks (the San Francisco 49ers going from Joe Montana to Steve Young is the most well-known example).
However, it is unprecedented for a team to have three-consecutive great quarterbacks. Now, it is far too early to dub Jordan Love, who Green Bay selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, as the next Canton-bound Packers quarterback. However, it is noteworthy that he had a better first season as the team’s starter than either Favre or Rodgers.
Quarterback | Completion % | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jordan Love | 64.2% | 4,159 | 32 | 11 | 96.1 |
Aaron Rodgers | 63.6% | 4,038 | 28 | 13 | 93.8 |
Brett Favre | 64.1% | 3,227 | 18 | 13 | 85.3 |
As rumors and speculation abound regarding Love’s next contract, it is apparent that he will be the face of the franchise going forward, just as his two predecessors were.
Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Tried to Be Better than Brett Favre in One Important Way
In 2004, the Packers won the NFC North with a 10-6 record. Favre had another great season, completing 64.1% of his passes for 4,088 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions while posting a passer rating of 92.4. Despite their regular season success (they lost to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL Playoffs), the Packers decided to take Rodgers with their first round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
As was the case with fans with Love when he was drafted, the Green Bay faithful did not react well to the pick. Then general manager Ted Thompson was heavily criticized, just as Brian Gutekunst was for drafting Love.
And, of course, Favre himself was not happy about the pick. It is well-known in Green Bay and around the NFL that Favre did not take any kind of mentorship role when it came to developing Rodgers. In other words, he took out his frustrations with the front office on the newly drafted quarterback.
Fast forward to 2020: Rodgers was in the same boat that Favre was when he was picked. Remembering what it was like to have the starting quarterback refuse to help him, he resolved he would not put Love through that. While Rodgers’ battles with the Packers organization were drawn-out, ugly, and disappointing, one can safely say he always did what he could to help Love develop and grow.
Jordan Love Wants to Do 1 Thing Better Than Aaron Rodgers Did on the Green Bay Packers
The biggest conversation point going into the 2024 NFL season for the Packers is Love’s contract extension. By all accounts, it’s not a matter of if he will re-sign, but when. There is also a question of how much?
Love could easily have held out and skipped offseason activities while his agents and the Packers hammered out a new contract. But he did not do that; he showed up and participated in everything. This is a stark contrast to how Rodgers’ last few seasons with the Packers went, with the future Hall of Famer skipping most voluntary (and some mandatory) workouts.
Aside from the contract, Love also picked up on something that Rodgers was well-known for that he does not want to be: poor body language. When asked about his leadership style, Love said:
“You never want to have bad body language, whether it’s at somebody or on a play you might’ve messed up on. Just always trying to be positive with body language and those little things.”
Rodgers’ body language was notoriously poor in Green Bay, and it was not unusual for him to display his frustration by throwing tablets, yelling at players on the field (not on the sideline), or rolling his eyes.
Love saw that, and especially saw how it affected the younger players. Now that Love is leading a team primarily made up of younger players, he is resolved not to let them experience what he saw others go through.
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