Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has taken more than his fair share of criticism ever since the team traded up to take him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He didn’t ask for them to do that, and he did not ask to be the heir to a future Hall of Famer.
But that was the lot he drew and he has been the epitome of professionalism despite the unnecessary hatred thrown his way. Earlier this week, NFL analyst Adam Schein went on a tangent about how he hates Jordan Love and claimed that he cannot play football.
Many people, including teammate De’Vondre Campbell and former Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert, came to Love’s defense on social media. However, another NFL analyst, Louis Riddick, used his platform on ESPN to fire back at everyone who is writing off Love.
Louis Riddick of ESPN Defends Green Bay Packers Starting Quarterback Jordan Love

Appearing on ESPN’s “NFL Live” show, Riddick was asked a question regarding expectations for Jordan Love in 2023. He used the opportunity to fire back at Schein and any other analyst that has criticized Love this offseason:
“We haven’t even played a preseason game yet and we’re already debating what is Jordan Love going to be like in Like if he struggles in the two-minute drill in the first two weeks of Camp we’re going to be like ‘oh no, you know what they need to go out and find a successor.’
“Managing expectations is really going to be job number one for the Green Bay Packers, and I know this football team is the Packers and they’re used to winning and they’re used to competing for division titles and they have a former four-time MVP that just left I get that! But do we understand that Jordan Love hasn’t made his second start of his career?
“Do we understand of his six primary pass catchers, the top six, four of them, FOUR OF THEM are rookies? Both tight ends and then Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. That’s six guys who are in their first two years of football.
“So there’s going to be some growing pains. I’m telling you once you get into the regular season you’re going to need to be patient there too. We know that patience doesn’t come by the bucketful in the NFL, it doesn’t even come by the glassful but you better exercise some because there are going to be growing pains.”
Notice here that Riddick is by no means claiming that Love is going to be the second coming of Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre in Green Bay. What he is saying is that it is absolutely ridiculous to write off Love after just one career start and less than two weeks of training camp.
Now, while Riddick preaches patience, he also stated that he believes the Packers can (and will) be competing for a division title this year:
“Now I do think once the first quarter to third of the season is over, I do expect this football team to be making some strides and then kicking into gear. And if it kicks into gear in the way you think on paper it should, Green Bay could be set up for a long long time with a lot of play making ability in their quarterback.
“But in the meantime every single drill where Jordan Love doesn’t beat the defense which is a very highly paid, highly talented defense we can’t be picking him apart. We have to give him some space and let him grow.”
Riddick makes a great point regarding the defense. While it has been inconsistent under Joe Barry in the regular season, it is made up of eight first round picks (six of whom are healthy; Rashan Gary and Eric Stokes are still recovering from injuries that ended their 2022 seasons).
Of all the players on offense, the only first round pick is Love himself. It is okay that the offense takes more than a couple of practices to catch up to the defense. That was even the way it was when Rodgers was under center! Some analysts have been quick to forget that the defense gave Rodgers fits during training camp last year, too.
During Family Night on Saturday, Love put on a show in front of over 60,000 Packers fans, and was warmly received when he came out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field for the first time as the team’s starter.
There will be bumps in the road, but the Packers are set up for long-term success once again.
Adam Schein will hate it.
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