The Green Bay Packers' offense is officially in trouble. Star running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner's exempt list due to his legal turmoil, and there's no word on how much time he'll miss.
That leaves the Packers' already thin running back room with the injury-prone MarShawn Lloyd as the next man up, followed by Chris Brooks, and the recently acquired Kaleb Johnson. That's clearly not ideal.
Considering that, and with all the problems they already had in the interior of the offensive line, head coach Matt LaFleur only has one clear choice: He has to trust Jordan Love to do most of the heavy lifting.
The Packers should run a pass-first offense in 2026
LaFleur has always tried to establish the run in Green Bay. He runs the ball pretty much 50 percent of the time, sometimes to a fault. That's great on paper, but he has to work with the hand he's been given.
He has a true gunslinger in Jordan Love, but he's held him back often with his conservative play-calling. While some may argue that this helps him be efficient and avoid making unnecessary mistakes, he's not making the most of his quarterback's best traits.
Of course, there will be some bad decisions and erratic throws here and there, though Love has improved his decision-making over the years. He's taken better care of the ball as well, although, again, that might be due to LaFleur's often conservative approach.
Still, this team has major questions in the interior of the offensive line. Both guard spots might be up for grabs through the season, and even the center raises some doubts. They struggled to create lanes for the running game last season, and that was with Josh Jacobs coming out of the backfield.
Now, with an injury-prone wild card and a couple of JAGs as his replacement, they're not likely to find much room on the ground. Either by design or by necessity, they'll have no choice but to ride or die with their signal caller.
Love has always been a polarizing figure, but the arm talent is undeniable. He's one of the best in the league at placing the ball in tight windows, especially with downfield passes, and he's never been afraid to let it fly.
The Packers already showed they trusted him enough to let him call plays in offense in the preseason. That should only translate into more freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage and take ownership of the offense.
And with all the uncertainty surrounding the running game, Love might be under more pressure to deliver than ever before. Will they give him a long leash to prove he's got what it takes? History isn't on his side, but LaFleur may not have a choice at this point.
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