Green Bay Packers fans have been spoiled by Hall of Fame quarterback play for the last 30 years. In the last 15 years, they have been spoiled further by Aaron Rodgers having the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history. Of course, this was a welcome stretch to Packers fans who spent 15 years watching Brett Favre throw more interceptions than anyone in NFL history.
Now that Rodgers has followed in his predecessor’s footsteps and joined the New York Jets, Jordan Love is going to take over. It is unfair to expect Love to be just as adept as Rodgers at avoiding interceptions, though predicting he is going to be more like Favre in that aspect is also unfair.
The fact of the matter is that Love will likely fall somewhere between the two when it comes to throwing interceptions. However, the latest odds by FanDuel have Love listed as one of the favorites to lead the NFL in that category in 2023.
Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love Is a Favorite to Lead the NFL in Interceptions
According to FanDuel, Love has the eighth “best” odds to lead the NFL in interceptions at +1300. This should not, however, be taken as an indication that he will be a bad quarterback. The quarterbacks listed ahead of him are:
- Josh Allen (two Pro Bowls, two top-three MVP finishes): +900
- Justin Fields: +900
- Matthew Stafford (led the NFL in interceptions in 2021 when the Rams won the Super Bowl; also had 41 touchdowns): +900
- Baker Mayfield: +900
- Dak Prescott: +1000
- Joe Burrow (considered by many to be one of the three best quarterbacks in the NFL): +1000
- Mac Jones: +1200
As one can see, there are a wide variety of skill levels represented in these odds, from MVP candidates to potential NFL Draft busts. Love’s high odds to lead the NFL in interceptions are not an indictment on him as a quality player. If it were, Cincinnati Bengals fans would be itching to move on from Joe Burrow.
Speaking of leading the NFL in interceptions, Favre led the league in that category three times in his career; twice with the Packers (1993 and 2005) and once with the Jets (2008). In 1993, the threw 24 interceptions against just 19 touchdown passes, but was still named to the Pro Bowl.
In 2005, Favre threw 20 touchdown passes and a career-high 29 interceptions. The Packers went 4-12 that season, which was also the first year Rodgers was on the team.
Obviously, Love needs to keep his turnovers to a minimum. However, the point here is that leading the NFL in interceptions does not always mean the team and the quarterback are awful. Just look at the last five quarterbacks who led the NFL in that category:
- 2022: Dak Prescott (15)- Cowboys made the playoffs
- 2021: Matthew Stafford (17)- Rams won the Super Bowl
- 2020: Carson Wentz (15)- Eagles were pretty bad
- 2019: Jameis Winston (30)- Buccaneers went 7-9
- 2018: Ben Roethlisberger (16)- Steelers went 9-6-1
Therefore, it is possible that Love could lead the NFL in interceptions and the Packers still be a playoff team. It would be much better if he didn’t, of course, but there is a stigma around leading the league in interceptions that implies the quarterback is awful. The fact of the matter is that sometimes he isn’t.
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