The Green Bay Packers’ defense has been giving Jordan Love a rough time in training camp, and Matt LaFleur is already stepping in to keep things from going too far.
Ahead of the team’s first padded practice on Monday, the Packers head coach made it clear to his defenders that Love does not need extra contact while camp is still underway. LaFleur said he wanted players to back off once they got close to the quarterback.
“Had too many guys in the QB’s lap," LaFleur said. "That was stressed this morning.
Just veer off. There will be a time and place for that - the first preseason game.”
The problem, though, isn’t just about one practice. Green Bay’s offensive line has been struggling to keep the pocket clean, and that issue was already hanging over the team last season as Love dealt with injuries. The concern only grew this offseason when Rasheed Walker left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency and Elgton Jenkins signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Even with Micah Parsons sidelined, the Packers’ defensive front has still looked strong in camp. Parsons suffered an ACL injury late last season and is not expected back until October at the earliest. Green Bay paid a steep price to land him, giving up two first-round picks and Kenny Clark, and his absence to start the season puts more pressure on the rest of the pass-rush group.
That means Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave and Barry Sorrell need to help carry the load, and early camp signs suggest they’re doing that. But for LaFleur, the bigger immediate issue is what’s happening in front of his quarterback.
The preseason will eventually bring real live bullets, as LaFleur pointed out, but for now the message is simple: give Love some breathing room. The regular season starts in September, and that’s when the protection problem will matter most.
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