The Green Bay Packers made a bold move in the 2020 NFL Draft, trading their first- and fourth-round picks to move up for quarterback Jordan Love. Just a few years later, general manager Brian Gutekunst might be lucky to get a Day 3 pick for him in a trade.
Green Bay’s decision to move up and draft Love drew intense scrutiny and dealt a major blow to their relationship with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers and their future Hall of Fame quarterback have repaired the disconnect, with the franchise now willing to do whatever it takes to convince the NFL MVP to return.
Getting the All-Pro quarterback back for 2022 and beyond would be the best-case scenario for the franchise. However, it would also mean that its 2020 first-round quarterback would spend his first four NFL seasons on the bench. While the Packers could look to trade him, it seems many around the NFL believe it wouldn’t do much for the organization.
NFL insider Benjamin Allbright shared Sunday that everyone around the league knows Green Bay doesn’t believe in Love. If it attempts to trade him, the return would likely be a late Day 3 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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Considering Love is still on a cheap rookie contract, it wouldn’t make sense for the Packers to trade him for a pick in the 6th or 7th round. Even if the front office and coaching staff no longer believe in him as a starter, cheap backup quarterbacks have value.
Do the Packers believe in Jordan Love?
The Packers knew Love needed time to develop when they drafted him. Unfortunately, he entered the NFL at the worst time. In a year where the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to hold a virtual NFL Draft, Love needed reps in rookie minicamp and OTAs.
Unfortunately, that never happened. Players didn’t report to facilities until late in July for a delayed training camp. When that time arrived, Rodgers received the first-team reps to prepare for the 2020 NFL season.
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The rookie spent his first season as Green Bay’s third-string quarterback. When Rodgers held out of minicamp in 2021, it was viewed as the perfect opportunity for Love to prove himself. It didn’t seem to help.
Before his second year in the NFL began, reports suggested the Packers lost confidence in him. He showed some positive signs of development very early in the training camp, but he never ‘wowed’ and everyone came away confident he wasn’t ready to start.
However, Rodgers testing positive for COVID-19 opened a brief window for Love. In a lone road start against the Kansas City Chiefs, the second-year quarterback struggled (58.1% completion rate, 69.5 QB rating). He also performed very poorly in relief of Rodgers against the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
- Jordan Love stats: 36-of-62 (58.1% completion rate), 411 passing yards, 2-3 TD-INT, 31.4 QBR
It’s evident why the Packers are doing everything they can to convince Rodgers to stay. If he departs, based on everything reported on Love in the past year, this franchise would be in trouble.
