Jordan Love is starting to get the kind of respect that’s been missing all offseason, and it’s arriving right as Packers camp gets rolling and the preseason draws closer.
For months, plenty of division rivals kept getting pushed ahead of Green Bay’s quarterback in rankings. Now the conversation is shifting back toward what Love has actually done over the last three years. The case for him is pretty straightforward: he’s made real progress in every part of the job, and there isn’t much reason to doubt what he brings to the Packers.
Former NBA reporter and current FS1 pundit Chris Broussard recently laid out why he would choose Love over Lions quarterback Jared Goff. That’s a much more grounded debate than the Caleb Williams vs.
Love conversation, especially when Love already has a more established body of work. Goff has earned plenty of respect himself after what he’s done in Detroit, but Broussard’s point is that Love is playing at a higher level and offers more ways to hurt a defense, including with his legs.
The numbers, as Broussard presented them, back up the idea that Green Bay has the edge at quarterback. Love has more upside than Goff at this stage and a far more complete resume than Williams. Put simply, there hasn’t been much of a good explanation for why Love spent so much of the offseason getting overlooked.
That seems to be changing.
Camp has given evaluators another chance to see how talented Love is, along with the strength of Matt LaFleur’s system. His connection with Christian Watson has stood out, and Matthew Golden has also shown clear progress.
Love’s value goes beyond the highlight throws. He’s become a steadying presence for Green Bay and has helped lift the offense. That matters even more with questions surrounding Josh Jacobs and no clear picture of what comes next there.
Whatever happens with that situation, the Packers have plenty of confidence in Love. And as rankings around the league begin to reflect what he’s accomplished, it looks like the rest of the football world is finally catching up.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Is Showing Why The Packers Stayed Patient
Jordan Loves growth has been easy to trace if you watch the details before the snap. The Packers quarterback said his years behind Aaron Rodgers gave him a front-row view of how much control a quarterback can have at the line of scrimmage, especially when it comes to protection adjustments and getting everyone settled before the play starts. It is the kind of lesson that does not always show up in the box score, but it has clearly helped shape the player Green Bay has now.
Love has gone from apprentice to steady starter, and the last three seasons have only reinforced why the Packers were willing to wait. He has developed into a quarterback who can handle the mental side of the job as well as the physical one, and that matters most in January, where Green Bay has been back in the playoff picture multiple times. The next step is less about proving he belongs and more about just how far that command can carry him. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Forgotten Draft Pick Worth Watching
John Williams barely got a chance to show what Green Bay thought it was getting when it drafted the former Cincinnati Bearcats guard, because a back injury wiped out his entire rookie season. Now he is back in training camp, and the early return has been encouraging for a Packers offensive line that can always use more flexibility. General manager Brian Gutekunst has already pointed to Williams progress, especially the way he has handled a variety of responsibilities up front.
What makes Williams interesting again is not just that he is healthy, but that he has been movable across the line in a way that gives the Packers options if he keeps building on this camp. Preseason games will matter here, because roster spots are never handed out on potential alone, and Williams still has to beat out the other names in the mix before Green Bay decides whether this forgotten draft pick is ready to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Opens Up About A Personal Loss Beyond Packers Camp
Packers coach Matt LaFleur had planned to leave training camp and make the trip to a funeral service for Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of his longtime friend Jeff Ulbrich, but a mechanical problem with his private plane kept him from attending. The aircraft failed its preflight check, interrupting a personal obligation that had been on LaFleurs calendar as he balanced camp duties with a difficult off-field moment.
Cristina Ulbrich died last month after a battle with cancer, and the Falcons announced her death on July 30. LaFleur and his wife had intended to fly in for the service, a reminder that even in the middle of camp, football people are still carrying the kinds of personal losses that pull them away from the field. [Read more 🡒]