The Green Bay Packers' biggest preseason winner is up for debate, with the last month making a very compelling case for Matthew Golden. However, as we close the book on August and prepare for the 2025 season to kick off, there is no question that if it isn't Golden, it's quarterback Jordan Love.
Despite missing time due to injury, the script is perfectly set for the quarterback to step into the spotlight and once again silence his critics. Not only do you have the breakout of Golden giving reason to believe the offense is going to take a leap, but Love's often-injured receiver room is getting healthy at the perfect time. Love, himself, is also back at practice since the issue isn't to do with his throwing hand, providing even more reason for optimism.
All the hype around Love has died down, with pundits often pointing to the injuries and lack of progression. Other quarterbacks have captured the interest of sports media, allowing Love to sit back and prepare for what is going to be a pivotal 2025 season. The Green Bay franchise quarterback benefits from being able to sit back and take a breath, preparing for the season to come.
Packers Quarterback Jordan Love Is Clear Preseason Winner
Love wins the Packers' offseason due to the new weapon that has emerged in the rookie pass catcher, extra rest and improving health in the receiver room. He's also faced less scrutiny than usual, with rising QBs like Bo Nix, just-paid QBs like Brock Purdy, and aging QBs like Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins getting far more attention.
This has allowed Love to prep for 2025 without as much outside noise, which is absolutely a benefit for a quarterback look to return to previous heights. Compare that to Golden, who's now going to be expected to perform from the jump even though the regular season is an entirely different beast compared to practice or preseason reps.
It seems as if last season's playoff failure has wiped away the display Love put on at the end of the 2023 season, which led to an incredibly dominating road playoff win. While in some ways this is disrespectful, it also perfectly sets up the quarterback, lessening pressure on the franchise star while everything around him appears to be improving.
Though fans had some level of concern over the thumb injury, it is important to note that this was to the non-throwing hand. It seems extremely unlikely that any lasting issues will present themselves. This should leave the quarterback fresh and healthy for Week 1's matchup against the Detroit Lions, which is the perfect stage to reassert himself as one of the league's best.