Playing consistently from the pocket is paramount for playing quarterback at an elite level, and Jordan Love is spending his offseason focused on being more comfortable inside the pocket ahead of the 2024 season.
Asked what he focused on improving this summer, Love pointed to his poise and his feet in the pocket.
“There’s always little things,” Love said Tuesday. “The biggest thing for me was staying poised in the pocket, just staying balanced in the pocket. Sometimes I get out of whack with my feet and I might start drifting in the pocket a little too much. Just pocket awareness, making smaller moves, understanding when I might need to get out of there.”
Love said he also worked on throwing on the run and his comfort level seeing things before and after the snap.
Staying poised in the pocket with subtle movements can keep a passing play on time and in rhythm. While Love made plenty of plays outside the pocket to end the 2023 season, his game really took off once he started dominating from inside clean pockets. Pocket movement also allows a quarterback to avoid pressure from various areas and keep his eyes downfield. Playing the position requires a feel and vision in terms of knowing where the pressure is coming from and using footwork to move around and stay in a stable throwing position inside the pocket.
According to Pro Football Focus, Love ranked 14th in passer rating from clean pockets and fourth in passer rating under pressure as a first-year starter in 2023. From Week 10 on, he ranked seventh in passer rating from clean pockets and first in passer rating under pressure.
Another jump as a passer from the pocket would only elevate Love’s ability and production in 2024.
“Just pocket movement, making smaller movements,” Love said.
Here more from Love below:
