The season isn’t even close to starting and the drama is already thick in Green Bay. The drafting of quarterback Jordan Love toward the back-end of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft has created all sorts of back-and-forth between the front office, coaching staff and Aaron Rodgers. There are rumblings about tensions brewing between Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur and this would only further the divide, despite the efforts for damage control.

LaFleur said he talked to Rodgers after the pick was made. Echoing what general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Friday night, LaFleur called Rodgers a “consummate pro” about his place in a vastly changed quarterbacks room.

The running game and defense look good, but you have to be able to pass the ball dependably in today’s NFL. The best teams are able to score points in bunches and a ball control offense can be very limiting if they fall behind early.

William Hill lists Green Bay’s over/under at 9 wins with even -110 juice on both sides.

Sure, a big-time quarterback salary on the books can hinder a team’s ability to stay flexible under the salary cap. To make matters worse, Rodgers is still owed nearly $65 million over the next three seasons. There’s been so little investment to the WR position over the years that Rodgers hasn’t really been able to produce like he used to.

The best story for the Packers in 2019 was Aaron Jones, who broke out with 19 total touchdowns. The offense around him needs to blossom, yet it seems this is a team being pulled in two different directions.

Spending a first-round pick on Love will sow a lot of discord behind the scenes. The locker room will be divided and I can’t see this team playing together. I’m taking the under without hesitation.

Stats to Know

• Over the previous two seasons, Aaron Rodgers passed for 51 touchdowns, which is barely over the league average for the QB position (24.9 passing TDs was league average in 2019).
• Rodgers had thrown fewer than nine interceptions in each of his past nine seasons (only six Ints over his previous 32 games).
• Aaron Jones tied Christian McCaffrey for the most touchdowns (19) in the NFL while seeing his opportunity (285 touches) almost double from 2018 (159).
• Davante Adams led the Packers in receptions (83) despite missing four games. No other WR or TE had over 38 catches.
• Green Bay allowed the second-fewest number of catches (158) to the wide receiver position with nine teams gaining fewer than 140 yards.