Jordan Love showed the NFL world what he could do with a breakout season in 2023 after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for three years.
Despite the doubters, Love thrived with the youngest team in the NFL and got better and better as the season went on. He helped Green Bay go on a late surge in the regular season, closing out two must-win games over the Packers division rivals Vikings and Bears to secure a trip to the NFC Wildcard Round.
That is when Love’s appreciation throughout the sports world hit a whole new level.
Jordan Love led the Green Bay Packers to upset the No. 2 seeded Dallas Cowboys, a torching a defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in EPA (expected points added) per play, with 16-for-21 passing for 272 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Not bad for a quarterback in his first season as a starter.
Love finished the wild-card win with a passer rating of 157.2. Football fans will recognize that as agonizingly close to a perfect passer rating of 158.3, a rare stat line for any quarterback, let alone one competing in the playoffs.
While the Green Bay QB put together another decent performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the pouring conditions on the road in the Divisional Round, he made a rare mistake that he was known for avoiding, and threw the ball across his body over the middle of the field on the Packers final drive, resulting in the game-winning pick for the 49ers.
Still, it’s impossible to ignore what Love accomplished in hist first season as a starter.
Marquette Coach Shaka Smart has Clear Message For Jordan Love
Love took in his first Marquette men’s basketball game on Saturday at Fiserv Forum.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback surely liked what he saw with the 14th-ranked Golden Eagles rolling to a 75-57 victory over Seton Hall.
Whether Love becomes a big fan of MU hoops remains to be seen.
But one thing for certain is that Marquette head coach Shaka Smart is a huge admirer of the young NFL star.
At the end of his postgame availability, Smart didn’t hold back his praise for Love.
My favorite quarterback was in the house,” Smart said. “I love Jordan Love.
“And, since I got into coaching, I’ve not watched much NFL. But I watch the Packers now because of him. And so to have him here was phenomenal.
“And Jordan, we got to find a way to get your address, so we can send you a bunch of Marquette gear.”
Earlier, Shaka Smart had mentioned that Marquette was undefeated when new Bucks coach Doc Rivers, a Golden Eagles legend and mentor to Smart, watched a game live in person. He had the same message for Love.
“You, too, are undefeated,” Smart said. “So we got to get you back.”
It’s clear Smart is now a massive Jordan Love fan and it will be interesting to see if the two Wisconsin sports figures form any sort of lasting friendship moving forward.