There was a time in Lambeau Field when veterans like Aaron Rodgers and Tim Boyle cast great shadows. Having two years to develop under them, Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love sounded like a promise waiting to come true when he got the QB1 mantle in 2023. And he showed a lot of promise in that season, too. But since his performance last season, the word around the league is that he has “regressed.” And that narrative isn’t going away for a while as veterans are now calling it out, too. 

When you’re a QB for a franchise like the Packers, scrutiny follows you like flies on a hot summer day. And injuries don’t help either. At the season opener against the Eagles in 2024, Love got an MCL sprain that kept him on the sidelines till week 4. But even though he got back, it was clear that he was playing through some significant discomfort. The percentages declined a little, with the added pain of 11 interceptions to that. But even with the injuries, former NFL DE Chris Canty doesn’t think there’s a ‘free pass’ with Love’s name on it. Specially as his performance may be bringing the Packers down.

On the Unsportsmanlike show, Chris Canty shared his crisp take on Jordan Love. As per Canty, “I can’t give him a pass on the inconsistency due to the injury in 2024 because of what I saw in 2023. It’s an uncomfortable fact pattern for Jordan Love. Last year, he had six games with a passer rating below 90. Same thing the year before that in 2023.” Now, if we talk about the averages, Jordan Love did have 96.1 and 96.7 in his two seasons under center. But as Canty breaks it down in a ‘per game’ perspective, that number falls below 90. Canty further compared Love to other QBs and added, “For context, league average when it comes to passer rating was 94 in 2024. There were 21 QBs last season that averages a passer rating north of 90. It’s too inconsistent.”

Chris Canty went on to talk about Jordan Love’s contract. According to Canty, the kind of money Love makes comes with a set of deliverables that simply cannot be ignored. “When I’m paying a guy $55 million a year, that is problematic.” Jordan Love signed a $220 million, four-year extension in 2024, ranking him among the highest-paid QBs in the league. “He is set up for success. He’s got the head coach. He’s got the offensive line in front of him.” Canty further added that Love has all the tools he could need to push the Packers to win the Super Bowl. A feat they haven’t been able to replicate since the legendary performances by Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

So, the advice for the QB from the former DE? As Chris Canty put it, “Jordan Love needs to figure out how to be more of a steady hand for this team, because when you’re paying a guy that kind of money, he’s going to have to help the team overcome the adversity that it faces throughout the course of a 17-game regular season. And too often, Jordan Love wasn’t the answer for them when other things were going wrong with the team.” But despite the criticism, the Packers believe in their QB1. Matt LaFleur had also spoken up against the “narrative” around Love. And that belief has been clear for a long time this offseason as the Packers have broken a lot of traditions to add to Love’s weaponry.

The Packers are twisting traditions for Jordan Love

HC Matt Lafleur has his seal of approval for Jordan Love. Just recently, he had praised Love’s determination. “Obviously, he’s played a lot of ball and along with that has gained a lot of confidence… I think he’s certainly comfortable in helping lead others and telling them what to do. He’s a coach on the field. He knows this offense as well as anybody in regards to the details and what we’re trying to get accomplished. And I think he articulates that well to the other players.” Jordan Love is already working on his weaknesses and trying to be better than the first two years. And it was perhaps this sign of growing confidence over the last two seasons that the Packers broke traditions not once, but twice.

First off, it was the offseason last year when they signed free agent Josh Jacobs with a $48 million, four-year deal. The second time was this year’s draft, where the Packers broke the drought of 23 long years and went with WR Matthew Golden in the first round. As Chris Canty said, “the Packers typically don’t spend a lot of money in free agency. So there’s that. But then also NFL teams don’t spin big when it comes to running backs, period. The Green Bay Packers bucked that trend because they got a quarterback that they believed in. This offseason, they went out and did something that they hadn’t done in 20 years, which is draft a wide receiver in the first round. Last time they did that was Javon Walker in 2002. – So they have set this man up for success.” So, can Jordan Love deliver?

With Matthew Golden’s addition, things do look promising for the Packers’ offense. In his last season, the guy played 16 games and racked up 9 TDs with 987 receiving yards. Even at the NFL scouting combine, Golden boasted an explosive 4.29 seconds for the 40-yard dash. He’s also got some prime athleticism and football IQ to add to the numbers. With Golden to throw to, and with Jordan Love’s increasing confidence and leadership, will the Packers be able to flip the script on their critics and turn things around this season?