Love Kept Winning Attitude Through ‘Hardest Time’

The reason why Jordan Love will be the Packers’ starting quarterback in 2023 is because of his approach in 2022.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The last 14 months have been life-changing for Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

On Wednesday, Love spoke for the first time as the starting quarterback. It was a moment he wasn’t sure would happen. On March 15, 2022 and after winning back-to-back NFL MVPs, Aaron Rodgers signed a three-year contract. At that point, the window of opportunity in Green Bay appeared to be closed for Love.

“I’ll admit, I think the hardest time was when he re-signed the contract last year,” Love said. “It was like, ‘OK, well, where do we go from here? What do I do?’

“And I think I sat back, thought to myself and just came back with the approach, like, ‘Let’s just go ball out any opportunity I get. I’m going to get preseason and who knows what happens after that, so just grow and try and become the best version of myself. I can’t really control what happens after that, so let it play out.’”

It was that attitude that put Love in the starting saddle.

Had Love pouted last year, he wouldn’t have taken the Year 3 jump that gave the Packers the belief that he was ready to take over.

Had Love mailed it in last year, the Packers would have moved heaven and earth to appease Rodgers.

Had Love forced the issue and demanded a trade, well, he wouldn’t have been talking to reporters in the Lambeau Field media auditorium at a little past 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“It’s very hard” to be patient, he said. “It’s not easy. Obviously, you want to be the guy. Everybody wants to be the guy. Everybody wants to be on the field making plays. So, it’s not easy, but it was the situation I was put in. It was really nothing I could do about it. I say all the time, control what I can control, and all I can control with that situation is how I approach every day, how I learn, how I grow and how I get myself ready if my name’s called.”

Love’s name’s been called. After struggling through about six quarters of work in 2021 – a start at Kansas City when Rodgers was out with COVID and the second half running essentially the No. 2 offense at Detroit in the finale – Love developed like the Packers had hoped when they traded up to draft him in the first round in 2020.

There were two keys. First, when Rodgers was dealing with a broken thumb and barely practicing, it was Love who took the first-team reps on the practice field.

“The practice reps helped me build the foundation of how I want to approach it in a game,” Love said.

Second, it was a nine-pass appearance at Philadelphia when Rodgers was knocked out with injured ribs. The Packers didn’t win but Love at least gave them a fighting chance against the best team in the NFC.

The performance was validating for Love.

“That’s something I always knew. I’ve always been confident in myself,” he said. “I’ve always known that if I had to go in, my goal is just to make the most of that opportunity. Just go in there with confidence and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I was just able to show what I’ve always believed.”

Those performances, behind the scenes of the practice field and under the primetime lights, gave the Packers belief that Love was ready for a franchise-shifting opportunity.

Now, Love has about four months to get ready for a season he wasn’t sure would ever happen. He needs to build chemistry with a young group of receivers. He needs to find his place in an offense that coach Matt LaFleur will tailor to his skills. He needs to handle the pressure that comes with replacing a legend.

“I’ve always been a big believer in myself,” he said. “I believe in my arm talent and I like to make plays, so that’s always been the way I’ve played. I think it’s just learning how to play in that play style, learning how to take care of the ball, learning how to not always take those big shots or force the ball into areas and just find those checkdowns, find completions, things like that.”

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