NFL insider draws striking parallels between Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers ahead of huge season for Packers QB
As Jordan Love gears up for his first full season as the Green Bay Packers starter, it's impossible not to think about what is going to happen with the team on its first full season without Aaron Rodgers as its leader.
The Packers have been lucky to have Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in sequence, but Jordan Love is a bigger unknown than Rodgers was when he took over. There are obvious parallels in their respective ascensions, but wearing Aaron's shoes is going to be a massive task for the young quarterback.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero has shed some light on the hopes that are flying around Green Bay:
"The parallels with Aaron Rodgers when he took over and Jordan Love are so close, and Matt LaFleur has really tried to keep the expectations in check here in terms of, 'Okay, there's a growth process, you know, we've seen them in practice,' which is why they have the confidence to move forward with Jordan Love.
"But he's played a game and a half? Well, Aaron Rodgers also took over in year four - he really only played a game and a half at that point. What did the Packers do in 2008? They went 6-10. It was in 2009 that they took a huge leap forward, and in 2010 they won the Super Bowl. Maybe it's a similar type of path for Jordan."
Jordan Love: still a completely unknown player
After three seasons on the bench, with rare appearances due to Rodgers, the time has come for him to have his opportunity to prove that he was worth the first-round pick used in 2020. However, the mission will not be easy, and comparisons will always be around, as replacing Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP, is never simple.
Speculating a path of what he should be is nothing more than a guessing exercise at this point. Even the coaching staff, who has been watching him for the past three years, must have their doubts. The speed and the intensity in a live game are quite different, and he has only 83 passes as a professional in his career, a small sample and without continuity.
It's okay to be excited about Jordan Love, but this isn't a Packers team ready to compete in 2023. Let's all set our expectations in a fair manner for him.