The Green Bay Packers don’t expect to wait long to learn if quarterback Jordan Love can be a long-term replacement for future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
“I’m comparing it a little bit to Aaron’s first year as a starter, yeah, I’d say at least half a season to know,” Packers president Mark Murphy said about Love on Monday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “And I think even though we ended up with a losing record that year, but we saw enough of Aaron to know that we had something special.”
Rodgers went 6-10 as a starter for the 2008 season, his first atop Green Bay’s depth chart, but he also recorded 4,038 passing yards and 28 touchdowns through the air. Per the NFL’s website, the Packers locked Rodgers down via a six-year extension in October of that year.
As for Love, the Packers signed him earlier this spring to a one-year extension that could keep him tied to the organization through at least the 2024 season but could also allow the club to look for an upgrade at the position as soon as after the upcoming campaign.
The 2020 first-round draft pick has thus far completed 50-of-83 career regular-season passes (60.2%) for 606 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
While filling in for an injured Rodgers during a loss at the Philadelphia Eagles this past November, Love connected on six-of-nine passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Back in May, Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich indicated head coach Matt LaFleur may run more of his desired scheme with Love and not Rodgers in the lineup. Murphy seemed to echo that take.
“I think, offensively, you’re going to see probably a little bit more of Matt’s true offense,” Murphy explained. “Obviously, when you have a great quarterback like Aaron and somebody who’s been in the league as long as he has, we gave him the flexibility to change plays and get in and out of things that really helped, but I would anticipate a strong running game and play-action off of that.”
The Packers open the preseason at the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 11. Green Bay later plays at the division-rival Chicago Bears in Week 1 on Sept. 10.
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