When the Green Bay Packers made the decision to trade up in the first round and select quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft, it was a shock to many, including perennial starter and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. For the next three years, Love was put under the microscope with every step, throw, and decision he made that could be found on film.
Media members and national sports talk personalities harshly criticized Brian Gutekunst and the Packers front office for drafting him, and that criticism continued for years. It gained new life last offseason when Green Bay traded Rodgers to the New York Jets to make room for Love to start. Colin Cowherd said “There’s no special there” regarding Love. Pat McAfee asked “Are we sure [Brian Gutekunst] is a smart person?”
For a while at the start of the 2023 NFL season, it looked like the critics may have been right. Love was struggling to complete his passes at a high rate, Green Bay was 2-5, and it looked like just about every decision they had made regarding their roster had been wrong.
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers Dominated the 2nd Half of the Season
A four-game losing streak against the Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings was certainly the low point for the Packers last season. However, they never deviated from their plan of growing and improving together, and to let that process play itself out.
They won a convincing victory at home against the Matthew Stafford-less Las Angeles Rams before losing a heartbreaker on the road in Pittsburgh (a place the Packers have not won since 1971). They then rattled off three straight victories against the Las Angeles Chargers, Lions, and eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Two frustrating losses to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought more questions, many wondering if the Packers had what it takes to be a playoff team.
Green Bay went out and won their three final games against the Carolina Panthers, Vikings, and Chicago Bears to clinch the last wild card spot in the NFC playoffs.
They then went on to upset the Dallas Cowboys (and Mike McCarthy) in the opening round before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
When it was all said and done, Jordan Love had completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a passer rating of 96.1.
NFL Analyst Believes Green Bay Packers Star Jordan Love Will Be a Top-10 Quarterback
In a recent article posted on Bleacher Report, Maurice Moton writes about Love:
“Jordan Love looks like a franchise quarterback who will continue to improve with more experience.
“Love has only started in 18 career games, and he could be in the discussion as one of the league’s top 10 quarterbacks by the end of the 2024 season.”
Love certainly played like a top-10 quarterback in the second half of the season last year, and certainly is capable of being in that conversation this year if Green Bay gets off to a more consistent start.
It is amazing how much discourse can change in a year.
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