Vincent Frank
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones knows a thing or two about taking over for a legend in an indirect way. With a season gap in between, he replaced seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady in New England.
With Jones and his Patriots set to take on Jordan Love’s Green Bay Packers in an NFL preseason game this week, the still-young quarterback provided his even greener counterpart a piece of advice.
“I think Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL. So, to follow him, it’s just trying to chase the standard that he set every day. Honestly, we’re definitely two different players. That’s the only advice I’d have: Just continue to grow and be yourself, right? That’s all you can do. Put your best foot forward and compete. But yeah, it’s definitely big shoes to fill,” Jones said, via Chris Mason of MassLive.com.
First off, Jones’ assessment that Brady is the greatest quarterback of all-time is a sentiment shared by many around the NFL. But that’s not necessarily the takeaway from his comments.
A first-round pick of the Packers back in 2020, Love is set to take over for another all-time great in that of Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Rodgers was dealt to the New York Jets this past spring after spending the first 18 years of his NFL career with the Packers. Brady’s tenure in New England lasted two decades and has to be defined as the greatest dynasty in league history.
The stories are similar outside of the fact that Love will be only Green Bay’s third regular starting quarterback since 1991, roughly seven years before the quarterback was even born. Obviously, Brett Favre’s status as Green Bay’s franchise QB before Rodgers played a huge role in that.
Related: Ranking Mac Jones and the NFL’s 32 starting QBs
Jordan Love making strides as Green Bay Packers franchise QB
Love, 24, has thrown all of 83 regular-season passes since Green Bay made the Utah State a first-round pick. He was initially seen as a major project. That didn’t change with major questions surrounding the youngster following the 2022 season.
However, the dynamics have changed quite a bit since then. Head coach Matt LaFleur has spoken glowingly of Love throughout the summer. And despite some initial struggles during training camp, things seem to be looking up.
In the Packers’ preseason opener last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, Love completed 7-of-10 passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. It led to more praise from his head coach.
“All in all, I thought it was a good first performance,” LaFleur said of Jordan Love following the game. “I thought, just the poise he showed, the command he showed. I thought we were getting in and out of the huddle quickly. I thought it was a really good first exposure for him for this season.”
Love and his Packers are set to host Jones’ Patriots inside Lambeau Field Saturday evening. Both young signal callers still have a lot to prove heading into the regular season.
