It wasn’t an easy afternoon for Jordan Love and the passing attack.
With temperatures soaring into the high 80s Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers quarterback was under duress much of team periods thanks to one of the league’s best defensive lines, and an interior of an offensive line that is an early concern.
The receivers—from Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed to Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks—were challenged by defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s disguise-heavy scheme and a secondary loaded with playmakers.
Still, Love fired one impressive pass after the next. He consistently moved around in the pocket to find lanes, extended plays with his legs and threw from a variety of angles. In short, he showed why the Packers gave him a four-year, $220 million extension last week.
“We know what he’s capable of doing, and he’s capable of doing anything,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur told me after Tuesday’s practice. “That’s always comforting. Now you have to go out there and do it. … Just watching him, how he carries himself, his confidence level, he knows what he’s capable of doing every time he steps out on the field.”
A summer ago, Love’s talent was evident, but at times his inexperience was as well. It’s a trial by fire all quarterbacks must endure. Early on last season, it was a struggle for both him and the offense to find consistency. Green Bay started 3–6, with Love throwing 14 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
But things changed over the final eight games. Love tossed 18 touchdowns with just one interception, leading Green Bay to a 9–8 record and the NFC’s final postseason berth.
Throughout that 6–2 finishing kick, LaFleur felt the wins over the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, both in primetime, were when Love and his young receiving corps leveled up. In those games, Love accounted for six touchdowns and zero interceptions while taking only two sacks.
Fast forward to July, and Green Bay has a more polished quarterback surrounded by arguably the deepest receivers room in the NFL.
While nobody eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the Packers in 2023, three receivers had at least 580 yards, while Watson had 422 while being limited to nine games with a nagging hamstring injury.
If Watson can stay healthy and Doubs, Wicks and Reed continue to mature, the Packers could have one of the league’s most diverse, dangerous aerial attacks.
“I think that’s the beauty of our team,” LaFleur says. “It could be a new guy each and every week. I don’t think we had a 100-yard receiver until Bo Melton got it against the Vikings (in Week 17). That’s pretty remarkable. I’ve never been around a team that has so many different weapons.
“Frankly, the hard part is trying to get them all involved. Every one of those guys, you want to get the ball in their hands. There are only so many balls to go around. I think those guys realize the situation, and they embrace it. They like each other, they cheer for one another, they do the little things the right way in terms of the blocking and the effort.”
On Tuesday morning, it wasn’t easy for Love, his receivers and the offense. Yet, the plays kept being executed, ones that 12 months ago would have felt more like a tease than a staple.
Perhaps there’s no more reason for optimism in Green Bay than that.
Best thing I saw: Green Bay’s defensive line
While the offense is grabbing plenty of recent headlines in Packerland, the defensive line shouldn’t be forgotten.
In team periods, the Packers front dominated Green Bay’s offensive line, consistently pushing the interior of the line while working over the second-team tackles, with Zach Tom not yet participating in team drills.
Time and again, the combination of Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt blew up plays from the outset, while Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness and Rashan Gary were screaming around the edges.
“Just by the nature of the scheme, we’re getting upfield more,” Clark says. “Just TFLs, a lot more sacks, just naturally in the scheme … we’re more of an attacking front. As long as we’re doing our jobs, we should be making more plays.”
And while the early play of first-round pick Jordan Morgan is a concern as he transitions from tackle to guard (LaFleur called it “drinking water out of a firehose”), it’s not all on the rookie. It was a collective failure inside, something Green Bay must address.
Best thing I heard: “Happy Birthday”
NFL players are typically far removed from fans these days, but not in Green Bay.
On their way to practice, young fans get to accompany players down the street to Ray Nitschke Field, where the athletes discard their bikes, sign a few autographs and then get ready to work.
On Tuesday, fourth-round rookie safety Evan Williams was met with a chorus of “Happy Birthday” as fans wished him well after he turned 23 years old Sunday.
“Just the sense of community that you get around here, it’s pretty unparalleled to anywhere else,” Williams says. “You’ve got what seems like tens of thousands of people coming out to a training camp practice in the heat. It’s a pretty unique place and I’m definitely grateful to be a part of it.”
Rookie who impressed: Javon Bullard, safety
Speaking of Williams, it was impossible not to notice his play alongside second-rounder Javon Bullard.
The rookie safety tandem was terrific throughout practice, consistently covering well while coming up to help in run support.
With Green Bay overhauling their safety spots this year, the Packers will have free-agent acquisition Xavier McKinney playing alongside Bullard and Williams, who figure to each get plenty of reps as the season progresses.
“I think we have a lot of smart guys in our room,” McKinney says. “Obviously, we’re young, but I have a good amount of experience to help them move their process along faster. It’s easy when you have guys who want to work, are willing to work and are coachable. You can help them with certain things and they’ll listen to it. It’s been good overall, we have a talented group, a group that’s hungry. I try to tell them everyday that we make sure we keep improving.”
So far, so good for Green Bay’s back end, which will be asked to do plenty in Hafley’s more complex, versatile scheme.
Veteran who impressed: Doubs
Doubs spent much of individual drills lining up against All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander, and won most of those matchups.
Doubs, entering his third season, was brilliant in his route running throughout the practice. More than a few times, he won immediately off the line, playing coy for an instant before bursting into his route.
Whether it was an in- or out-breaking route, Doubs was able to get clear quickly before making a few excellent catches, including one in the back left corner of the end zone for a toe-tapping touchdown.
When asked if Doubs favors one route or another, his message seems to reinforce the play seen earlier in the day.
“No favorites. I look forward to working all routes. As a receiver, that’s what you should do. You shouldn’t depend on any favorites.”
Song of the Day: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” by Stevie Wonder
After Love signed for $220 million July 26, this felt like the only choice. He’s certainly signed and sealed. Now he has to deliver on the richest contract in franchise history.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Packers Training Camp Report: Jordan Love ‘Capable of Doing Anything’.
