Every outcome a good one if Jordan Love gets extended run as starter to end season
While Aaron Rodgers expects to start this Sunday in Chicago, the Packers have little reason not to turn the keys over to Jordan Love after the Week 13 bye.
From the moment an oblique injury sidelined Aaron Rodgers during last Sunday's prime-time tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles, a narrative began to take hold: With the Green Bay Packers' playoff hopes essentially dashed in 2022 and Rodgers battling through multiple ailments, why not let the soon-to-be 39-year-old quarterback rest while taking an extended look at former first-round pick Jordan Love under center?
Love's showing after Rodgers departed did little to quell that notion. The third-year pro played his finest football during his quarter of action, making smart, decisive throws while leading the Packers on two scoring drives. Had Green Bay successfully converted an onside-kick attempt, it would have set up Love for a comeback drive with just over a minute and all three timeouts remaining.
The small sample size hardly provides proof of concept for Love, who attempted just nine throws Sunday. Still, the parallels between that brief showcase and Rodgers' famous performance in relief of Brett Favre against the Dallas Cowboys -- a game that took place almost exactly 15 years to the day before Sunday's matchup with the Eagles -- haven't gone ignored. Love showed tangible signs of progress that the Packers have waited nearly three years to see.
However, at least for now, it doesn't appear that Love will make his first start of the season when the Packers take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday. Rodgers, who said he planned to keep playing as long as the team remained mathematically alive for the playoffs, believes he will receive medical clearance to suit up this weekend.
"Well, we're not eliminated. I got good news with the scans yesterday," Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. "So, I plan on playing this week."
Rodgers, of course, understands the Packers have no realistic path to the playoffs at this stage. But the reigning two-time MVP understandably feels he has earned the right to keep playing if medically viable. While a win this weekend won't make a significant difference to Green Bay's playoff outlook, it does hold some significance. The Packers could move into a tie with the Bears for most all-time wins by a franchise. Rodgers certainly wouldn't mind being the quarterback to make that happen.
But regardless of how Sunday unfolds, the Packers will then enter their bye week. Upon returning, the team might no longer have a path to the postseason. Should that occur, Green Bay has no reason to continue exposing Rodgers to more hits at the expense of playing Love. Rather, any scenario in which Love receives an extended run under center will prove beneficial to all parties involved.
Scenario No. 1: Love plays poorly over multiple starts
While Love's play in Philadelphia appeared to validate all the praise the coaching staff has heaped on the young signal-caller over the past year, it doesn't guarantee he would continue to perform at that level. Just over a calendar year has passed since his dreadful outing against the Kansas City Chiefs in relief of a COVID-stricken Rodgers. Love hardly looked improved when he filled in again against the Detroit Lions in the regular-season finale.
But even if Love's strong showing against the Eagles proves unsustainable, that information has value to the Packers. They need to know as concretely as possible whether their former first-round pick has the potential to take over the offense and if he warrants further time investment. Though Love remains under contract through 2023, the front office must determine whether to pick up his fifth-year option during the upcoming offseason. That decision will have significant ramifications for the organization.
Obviously, the Packers would prefer that Love justify the decision to trade up for him in 2022. General manager Brian Gutekunst in particular went out on a limb following the draft selection. But at this stage, making the best possible decision regarding Love's future has a higher priority even if that means finding out that he cannot handle the position in the long term.
Scenario No. 2: Love plays well enough to generate trade market
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