What a difference a year has made for the Green Bay Packers and starting quarterback Jordan Love! At this time last preseason, the Packers had already fully committed to Love as their starting quarterback going forward, but there were serious questions regarding whether or not he would be good enough to fill the shoes of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
Those questions were answered in a big way last season.
In his final season with the Packers, Rodgers completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 91.1 passer rating.
Last season, his first as Green Bay’s starter, Love completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 96.1 passer rating.
Most importantly, Green Bay went 9-8 and made the NFL Playoffs with Love under center after going 8-9 and missing the postseason with Rodgers in 2022.
Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love Signed a Massive Contract Extension
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
As many fans may recall, Love showed up on time for Packers training camp but refused to participate in practices until his new contract extension got signed. It did not take long after practices started for the two sides to come together, though.
Love and the Packers agreed to a historic four-year $220 million contract, the richest deal in franchise history. His $55 million average annual salary is tied for the highest in the NFL. His $75 million signing bonus, which must be paid in full by December, is the richest in league history.
While this may seem like a massive amount of money for a quarterback with just one year of starting experience in the NFL, it should be noted that Love’s 2023 season was the best first year starting by any quarterback in franchise history:
| Quarterback | Completion % | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Love | 64.2% | 4,159 | 32 | 11 | 96.1 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 63.6% | 4,038 | 28 | 13 | 93.8 |
| Brett Favre | 64.1% | 3,227 | 18 | 13 | 85.3 |
Love was also the only quarterback of the three listed above to lead his team to the NFL Playoffs in his first season under center.
Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love Addresses Playing in Final Preseason Game of 2024
After playing in Green Bay’s first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Love did not play at all against the Denver Broncs. Neither did any of the Packers’ other starters.
With the regular season quickly approaching, many wonder if Love will play in the preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Love addressed that question after practice today:
Jordan Love doesn’t believe he needs any more preseason work to be ready for Week 1. That doesn’t mean he’s sitting out Saturday’s finale. So to be determined.
His thoughts: pic.twitter.com/LMhyU4qJrx
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 22, 2024
“You know, having the two joint practices helped a lot, getting to see different defenses. Like I said, going against our defense all camp… we got a real good defense, so it helped a lot.
“I definitely think that I like where we are offensively, and I think we’re ready to go, get the season started.”
When asked if that meant he will not play in the preseason finale, Love said, “I don’t know yet. We’ll see, we’ll see. Matt [LaFleur] hasn’t decided yet on that one.”
Clearly, Love feels like he and his starting offense are ready for the regular season. While he did not directly say that he does not need to play on Saturday, his confidence certainly implies that he will be comfortable going into the regular season if LaFleur decides to let him sit.
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