Matt LaFleur Rips Broncos Player for Illegal Contact With Jordan Love
By Joe Summers
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur isn't happy with the Denver Broncos following a joint practice last week during training camp, pointing out during media availability on Thursday that star QB Jordan Love was unnecessarily put in harm's way.
Love's status for Saturday's preseason finale is up in the air, potentially due to a hard hit the signal caller took to the arm from an overzealous Broncos defender.
Considering joint practices are meant to be learning opportunities that simultaneously minimize injury risk to important players, LaFleur's frustration is warranted.
Matt LaFleur Calls Out Broncos for Unnecessary Jordan Love Hit
As for QBs in joint practices, LaFleur said the film from last week in Denver showed a Broncos player hit Love’s arm on the practice play.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 22, 2024
LaFleur said QBs are “in a different colored shirt for a reason… Stay off the quarterback, it’s not that difficult.”
Joint practices are meant to be a learning opportunity for coaches and players alike, evaluating their team against "real" competition before the long, grueling season begins. However, there's an understanding that player health is prioritized and you shouldn't try to injure someone.
LaFleur clearly believes that Denver did not follow that unspoken agreement, notable given Broncos head coach Sean Payton's infamous role in the Bountygate scandal that left him suspended for a season.
Love was hit in the arm on a practice play. Typically speaking, defenders are meant to get close to a quarterback without actually hitting him during these practice periods. The Broncos, whether purposefully or incidentally, put Love in harm's way.
Some NFL teams avoid joint practices altogether, partially due to this possibility, and now LaFleur must weight the benefits against the potential cost when holding these sessions moving forward. Love isn't expected to miss any preseason time, though could've suffered a serious and avoidable injury regardless.
There's no excuse for injuring a quarterback during a practice that's meant to protect him. The Broncos violated the Packers' trust, and it seems probable that the two organizations won't be holding any kind of joint training camp session moving forward without some sort of admission of fault.
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