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The Green Bay Packers traded up to draft Jordan Love last year, only to see Aaron Rodgers go off with an MVP season.
That would seem to preclude the possibility that Love will succeed Rodgers in 2021, but based on the incumbent quarterback’s disenchantment with Green Bay’s brass, Love’s time might be coming soon.
According to several people in his orbit, the Packers may have the next superstar QB in Love waiting in the wings.
Longtime NFL exec thinks Jordan Love’s ceiling is higher than Justin Herbert’s
Go Long NFL insider Tyler Dunne did a deep-dive piece on Love recently, and is there ever a lot to unpack.
Dunne featured several quotes from those close to Love, including longtime New York Giants front office member Marc Ross, who likes Love’s upside over the signal-caller’s draft peers Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa:
Herbert just had one of the best rookie campaigns in NFL history — maybe the very best one for a QB considering how bad the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive line was.
Nevertheless, you can see the other quotes from Dunne’s piece about Love’s potential. Yes, comparisons to Patrick Mahomes and Rodgers himself abound.
Clearly Rodgers took it personal that Green Bay was trying to shove him out the door before he was ready. It seems he wants to finish his career with the Packers, but that may not be in the cards anymore.
With the clock ticking on Love’s rookie contract, and Rodgers wanting a multi-year commitment from the organization, it seems only a matter of time before the veteran gets traded.
So, what to make of these gaudy comparisons Love is receiving?
Why these hot Jordan Love takes can’t be dismissed
These apparently hyperbolic statement can’t be totally based in delusion. The Rodgers and Mahomes parallels were drawn by Love’s private coach, Steve Calhoun.
This is someone who’s worked with Russell Wilson in the past, so Calhoun knows what elite talent looks like. There’s absolutely zero benefit to pump up your client like this, because if Love doesn’t even come close to meeting that hype, it appears totally foolish.
Some prominent media personalities, such as Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, are already declaring Love a bust after the Packers brought him along at a glacial pace in 2020:
But the situation in Green Bay was not at all ordinary. Even if the circumstances were different, whoever was going to be the encore act for Rodgers had massive shoes to fill.
Not only is Love going to be following Rodgers — he’s also the next in line after Brett Favre. No team in the NFL has had a more stable QB situation for longer than the Packers have. They’ve struck absolute gold. Love has to prove the third time is still charmed, and live up to the legacy of two future Hall of Famers.
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All these pro player comparisons suggest Love will have a bust in Canton someday. That feels like a massive stretch, but more due to the fact that we simply haven’t seen much of the raw Utah State product.
When it comes to arm talent, athleticism and throwing power, there’s no denying Love has plenty of ability. Whether that translates to a long career in Green Bay remains to be seen. More important than the physical aspect, Love will have to show extreme mental strength to get over this potentially messy Rodgers divorce and step in ready to shine.
However things shake out for the Packers, Love is going to be a fascinating player to watch in the coming years. And why wouldn’t the team bring him along slowly as a rookie with Rodgers clearly at the peak of his powers and all the external noise going on after the 2020 draft?
Love will need to grow up fast, but such is the expectation placed on first-round picks. Let’s see how he handles it all.
