There are several members of the Green Bay Packers on the proverbial hot seat after a 2-5 start to the season. That obviously includes general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Now only did the embattled front office head make the decision to trade up for quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but it also set into motion Aaron Rodgers’ departure from the Packers.
If the first half of Green Bay’s initial campaign without Rodgers in the mix is any indication, there are going to be widespread changes coming in Wisconsin.
Could that include Love’s tenure as the Packers’ starting quarterback being short-lived? In giving his annual mid-season press conference with reporters on Wednesday, Gutekunst wouldn’t commit to Love as the franchise quarterback moving forward. He also provided an eye-opening quote about the young signal caller.
“I hope not,” Gutekunst said when asked if the Love evaluation process would take more than this season. “I think we’ve got 10 games left. These are going to be very important 10 games.”
Love and the Packers started out this season with a 2-1 record, but have lost four four consecutive. It’s not a coincidence that the former Utah State star has struggled over the past five games.
Love opened the campaign by tallying six touchdown passes with zero interceptions in two games. He’s been an utter disaster since.
- Jordan Love stats (past five games): 58% completion, 1,096 yards, 5 TD, 8 INT, 66.6 QB rating
Despite this, Gutekunst did have some nice things to say about the soon-to-be 25-year-old quarterback.
“I think he’s done a lot of really good things,” Gutekunst said. “Really like the way he’s responded to the adversity, how he’s led the team. Again, we’ve got to be better as a unit, and I expect that to happen over the next 10 games.
The evaluation process is real as it relates to Green Bay’s entire 53-man roster, its front office and the Matt LaFleur-led coaching staff.
Related: Ranking Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love among NFL starting QBs
Green Bay Packers non-committal about Jordan Love
Green Bay signed Love to a one-year, $13.5 million contract extension back in May rather than opting to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Said contract calls for a $12.5 million dead cap hit if the Packers were to trade or release Love.
This seemingly committed the Packers to the inexperienced signal caller for another season. But based on what we’ve seen through seven games, changes could be in store. That’s especially true if the Packers’ current four-game losing streak extends even further and sets them up for a high selection in a quarterback-heavy 2024 NFL Draft.
“When the group as a whole is not functioning the way it should function, then it’s hard to evaluate anybody,” Gutekunst said about Jordan Love. “At the same time, it’s on us to get that right so we can move forward and evaluate the guys we have in that room. But yeah, when we’re not clicking, it’s tough to evaluate anything.”
The backdrop here is Gutekunst’s future as the Packers’ general manager and whether he’ll be the one to make that decision. It’s rather obvious that the longtime front office head joins LaFleur on the hot seat.
If things continue to spiral in Green Bay, a new brass could ultimately be calling the shots once the calendar flips to 2024.