While everyone awaits confirmation that Aaron Rodgers has been traded to the New York Jets, here’s something that is official: Jordan Love is the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
In a matter of months, Love will be handed the keys to an organization coming off back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks. As if filling those shoes isn’t daunting enough, Love has only started in one NFL game.
But what Love lacks in experience, the Packers believe he offsets with potential.
Regardless of how high Green Bay might be on Love’s future, there are still plenty of unknowns. For instance, how will he hold up over a 17-game season?
In three years at Utah State, Love started in 32 games, including all 26 as a sophomore and junior. By all accounts, his only injury was a concussion against Hawaii in 2018. The following week, he threw for 491 yards and five touchdowns in a blowout win over San Jose State.
Love held up well at the collegiate level, but the NFL is a different beast. He experienced that firsthand during the 2021 preseason when his NFL debut was cut short by a strip sack that dinged his throwing shoulder. The injury forced Love to miss Week 2 of the preseason, even though he desperately needed the reps.
Had it been a playoff game, maybe Love would have played. We will learn more about his pain tolerance and durability throughout his career.
What we do know is that football is a dangerous game, and the quarterback is the one position with a perpetual target on their back for all 60 minutes. The Packers have been fortunate to have two iron men under center for the last 30 years, but banking on Love being a third is unrealistic.
Like every starting quarterback, Love will need a backup. Someone who offers promise and stability in the event that he can’t be the one leading the offense. Right now, his backup is seventh-rounder Danny Etling, who has no regular-season experience.
Surely, the Packers will bring in competition for the backup job. And really, they have two options: draft someone or sign a free agent.
Before Rodgers took over as the starter in 2008, the Packers drafted two quarterbacks. They selected Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh. Flynn eventually won the number two job in training camp, and the team was fortunate he made only two starts in his first four years.
Carrying a backup on a rookie contract has its advantages and disadvantages. The most obvious advantage is the cap savings, but the main drawback is disastrous quarterback play if the backup is unqualified and in over his head. It’s not a risk every team is willing to take.
That is why some choose to sign a veteran in free agency. Green Bay has carried a few veteran backups on the roster over the years, with the most productive being Flynn during his second stint with the team. Without him, the Packers don’t make the playoffs in 2013.
If the Packers wanted to go this route, Trevor Siemian and Cooper Rush are options, as are more seasoned prospects like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco.
Who knows if any of these guys would be willing to sit behind Love, but there is an obvious benefit to bringing in a Mariota or Ryan since both played for Matt LaFleur on previous teams. In the unfortunate circumstance that Love was injured, either would be better equipped than a rookie to keep the team operational until he returns. The downside is that a veteran backup warrants a much bigger contract, which Green Bay may not be willing to offer.
It’s a difficult decision if you’re Brian Gutekunst.
A free agent is more costly but a better pinch hitter and resource of knowledge for Love. Then again, Gutekunst is in the business of developing young quarterbacks and may be ready to start the process over.
So, if you’re Green Bay, who would you rather have backing up Love? A rookie or veteran free agent?
