The Green Bay Packers entered 2023 with high expectations and a lot of it had to do with the progress of quarterback Jordan Love. After spending three seasons behind Aaron Rodgers, Love finally got his chance to become a full-time starter completing 64.2% of his passes while throwing for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. With the added bonus of a playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys, Packers fans were excited to see what Love could do in 2024 but wound up disappointed despite an 11-6 season.
It led some to believe that the 26-year-old regressed after signing a four-year, $220 million contract extension before the start of last season. But Packers head coach Matt LaFleur put those thoughts to rest as he discussed Love’s sophomore season with reporters.
Matt LaFleur Says ‘Everyone Has to Be Better’ for Packers to Win in 2024
The Athletic’s Matthew Schneidman wrote about Love’s progress as he enters his third season as a starter and he seems to have the full confidence of his head coach. While Love’s completion percentage dropped to 63.1% and he threw for fewer yards per game (225.9) and a higher interception rate (2.6%), LaFleur cited the extracurricular events that led to his tough season.
“I think there’s like a narrative out there for whatever reason that he wasn’t as productive the year before,” LaFleur said during this week’s OTA workouts. “Well, he missed significant time. He missed the better of three games. Really, it was Indy. It was Tennessee. He went out in Jacksonville and then he went out in Chicago. So, you know, three games is a significant amount of time and you’re not going to produce as much from a numbers perspective.”
LaFleur’s take isn’t going to win any debate shows but it may be the truth. Love missed two games at the beginning of the year after he injured his knee in the final minutes of a season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and left the second half of a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars later in the year. While he was on the field less, his touchdown rate jumped from 5.5% in 2023 to 5.9% and he posted a higher quarterback rating (96.7) and QBR (69.3) than he did in 2023 (96.1 passer rating, 62.1 QBR).
There’s also something to be said about Love’s supporting cast. The Packers tied with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers with 33 dropped passes last year. Jayden Reed tied for fifth among NFL receivers with 10 dropped passes and Dontayvion Wicks had the highest drop rate among qualifying receivers at 18% according to Pro Football Focus.
“Let’s be honest – we’ve talked about this – we did have a lot of drops last year,” LaFleur continued. “So there’s other circumstances that play into it. I think all in all, everybody’s going to be better, though.”
That’s the approach that Love has taken entering his third season as a starter, the same year that Rodgers won a Super Bowl after sitting behind Brett Favre after arriving in the 2005 draft. While the Packers have addressed Loves’ support by selecting wide receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the draft, Love knows it ultimately comes down to him to take a step forward and get the Packers where they need to go.
“Everybody has opinions, things like that,” Love said. “Try to block that out and focus on doing me and being the best player I can be, like I’ve talked about, and go forward. But at the end of the day, personal stats, things like that, that’s all in the back. You gotta focus on the goals of the team first and foremost.”