Everything you need to know about Jordan Love

Why is Green Bay prepared to give Love a chance? Upgrade your membership inside to find out. Enjoy "Blood and Guts" on us, too.

Feb 22, 2023

Good morning, readers!

What a week, eh? There is no offseason in the NFL… especially when one iconic sports franchise and one all-time great have such monster decisions to make.

On Friday, our Bob McGinn shook the sports world with his report on the Green Bay Packers. He’s hearing that the Packers are prepared to move on from Aaron Rodgers and start Jordan Love. Here is that full podcast episode. (Note: We’ll be recording a second podcast for subscribers today.)

And the last few weeks, I’ve been chatting with everyone who knows Jordan Love best to figure out if the team is ready to start him in his fourth pro season. Conversations that proved to be illuminating. Love is ready to be the guy and — perhaps most importantly — the Packers know he’s ready. Here’s that full story.

All content through this Rodgers-Love decision is available for our paid subscribers, so I figured we’d share this special offer today. Choose the annual rate and I’ll also send you a copy of “The Blood and Guts: How Tight Ends Save Football.” Simply pass along your mailing address to golongtd@gmail.com, and feel free to introduce yourself if you’d like.

We’d love to have you join the community:

(Also: To read excerpts and get a sense for “Blood and Guts,” you can always replay Tight End Days here at Go Long. Click here for book excerpts and TE-related stories.)

As for Jordan Love? I feel like people are dying to know what changed. When the Packers gave Rodgers a massive contract exactly one year ago, most of the football universe wrote Love off. How could the Packers possibly view the 2020 first-rounder as “Aaron Rodgers 2.0” if they made such a financial committment? At 7K words, this story examines all elements: from Love’s rise at Utah State, Love’s early days in Green Bay to the massive jump he took from Year 2 to Year 3. Exactly one year ago, behind the scenes, he put it all together.

Gain insight from his private quarterbacks coach (Steve Calhoun), his Utah State OC (David Yost), his No. 1 receiver in college (Siaosi Mariner) and several Packers teammates.

A few things you’ll learn upon subscribing…

Jordan Love only received seven snaps after his breakout game in Philadelphia. But he did receive a healthy amount of reps with the first-team offense in practice the final month of the season. Packer players explain how he took full advantage of this opportunity.
He wants to start — be it in Green Bay or elsewhere. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit to see Love demand a trade if the Packers run it back with Rodgers.
Mariner still sees Mahomesian qualities to Love, and explains how Love is unique.
Rodgers scripted a Hall-of-Fame career on the basis of a telepathic connection with veteran receivers. Thousands of reps fed such synergy with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. With that connection gone, Love is best for what Matt LaFleur wants to run offensively. As one Packers receiver tells us, it’s easier to have a conversation with Love about the offense. He can speak the same language. Part of Rodgers’ genius is his ability to audible to play he ran three years prior… but what happens what none of your receivers were even around then? A player estimates Rodgers changed one-third of the plays last season, a difficult rate for young teammates to keep up with.
Steve Calhoun has been sharing his exceptional insight with us for a while. He has served as both a mentor and a quarterbacks coach to Love since eighth grade, and details how Love made his big move last offseason. (Yes, the QB learned how to direct his two eyes two very different directions in reading the field.)
It’s clear Calhoun and LaFleur have a strong relationship. The Packers coach always sends him specific drills and specific points of emphasis through the offseason. All workouts are then filmed and sent back to LaFleur.
Players weren’t necessarily mad at Rodgers for calling them out on McAfee early in the season — they know they’ve got to be professionals — but they would’ve enjoyed OTA work with their quarterback to speed up their development.
While we advocated trading Rodgers for picks galore two years ago, you can see why the Packers caved. He was still an MVP quarterback. His talent justified the drama. Those lines may have crossed. Is Brian Gutekunst prepared to throw away three years of Love’s growth?
I was particularly surprised how casually everybody — Calhoun, Yost, even Packer teammates — insists Jordan Love can do exactly what Jalen Hurts did in Philly with the right support. The other four QBs in his draft class have catapulted into the NFL’s elite at one point or another, all while he waits. After seeing Hurts light up the Super Bowl, Calhoun says: “I don’t see why that wouldn't happen with Jordan Love as well.” Yost coached with Justin Herbert and against Josh Allen — Love’s physical and athletic abilities, he believes, are comparable. Aaron Jones, De’Vondre Campbell, Juwann Winfree, Patrick Taylor, players up and down the Packers roster believe Love is prepared to lead a franchise. Will it be Green Bay? All signs are pointing that direction.

Thank you for subscribing, everyone. Again, I’ll have a second podcast with McGinn posted this afternoon for subscribers.

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