Jordan Love is set to get on the field when the Packers open preseason play Thursday against the Steelers, and Matt LaFleur already has a loose plan for how Green Bay will handle its starting quarterback.
LaFleur said Love is expected to play, though the exact workload is still up in the air.
“It's pretty fluid in regards to how many snaps. But I do think there's a lot of value for all our guys to get mentally prepared to go play a game,” LaFleur said, per Packers reporter Jason Hirschhorn.
The Packers should also get a look at Love with some of his top targets. Matthew Golden and Jayden Reed were back at practice on Tuesday, which puts them in line to see work with Love in the preseason opener, according to Hirschhorn.
Golden and Love have already flashed a connection at training camp. On Packers Family Night, even with LaFleur saying the team piled up a lot of mistakes in that practice, Love still found Golden for a long touchdown. Golden said the chemistry is building.
“I feel like the chemistry between us is growing for sure,” Golden said of his connection with Love, per the team.
LaFleur knows the Packers still have plenty to clean up before the real games begin. He pointed to too many mistakes right now, including pre-snap penalties, and said practice reps matter because they give the staff teachable moments.
“You'd love to have those guys every day out at practice because I think some of this stuff can be avoidable,” LaFleur said. “But it's a lot of good stuff for our guys to look at and learn from and to teach off of.”
Love is coming off a 2025 season in which he threw for 3,381 yards and 23 touchdowns. He has also said he’s excited about what this offense can be heading into 2026.
Green Bay reached the NFL Playoffs in 2025 before losing to the Chicago Bears in a tight postseason game.
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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
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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 🡒]