5 Packers on the Hot Seat Entering Week 1

Jordan Love

Last season was a honeymoon of sorts for Jordan Love and the Packers. It was his first year stepping into the enormous shoes left by Aaron Rodgers, and Green Bay had the youngest team in the NFL. Expectations were tempered; things didn’t need to be perfect, just promising.

The start was rocky, and there were moments when it seemed like the fanbase was on the verge of turning on him. But then something clicked. Love and the Packers turned it around, winning six of their last eight regular-season games and even securing a playoff victory. That late-season surge bought goodwill and optimism, and it was enough to satisfy fans for the time being.

But that was then. Now, Love is playing under a contract that will pay him, on average, $55 million per year. The stakes have been raised dramatically.

The narrative has shifted from hopeful progress to a demand for tangible success. Love’s contract isn’t just a payday; it’s a declaration that the Packers believe he can be the guy, the next franchise quarterback in a line of legends.

With that contract comes a new level of scrutiny. The honeymoon phase is over. There’s no more grace period for growing pains, and certainly no room for prolonged slumps.

The Packers have no backup plan, no safety net. It’s sink or swim with Love at the helm, and the pressure is already mounting as Week 1 approaches. The expectations have changed, and now Love must prove that he’s worth every penny and capable of leading this young team back to the top of the NFC.

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