The Green Bay Packers got a scare when starting quarterback Jordan Love suffered a leg injury with six seconds remaining against the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo. Love was in a ton of pain, and while everyone initially feared that his season might be over, doctors confirmed that Love’s knee stayed intact and the Packers’ QB1 suffered an MCL sprain.
Green Bay was fortunate enough to win their Week 2 and 3 games with backup Malik Willis under center. Sitting at 2-1 in an ultra-competitive NFC North, will Love play in Week 4?
What Is the Latest Injury Update for Jordan Love?
Love practiced last week in a limited fashion, and he’s continued to do the same this week. Despite Love missing the last two games with the MCL sprain, he’s expected to play in Week 4.
He’s officially listed as questionable on the injury report, but the fact that the Packers didn’t elevate Sean Clifford from their practice squad means Love is expected to play against the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow.
He’s back: #Packers QB Jordan Love is expected to return to the lineup against the #Vikings, three weeks after spraining his MCL.
Green Bay is not elevating Sean Clifford from the PS. pic.twitter.com/DXmboScKLL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 28, 2024
The typical timeframe for this type of injury is 3-6 weeks, so Love is returning on the shorter end. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Love was initially aiming for a Week 5 return, but he ended up making it back one week earlier.
The Packers’ Week 4 contest against the Vikings has massive playoff implications in the NFC playoff picture, so Love picked a great time to return to the lineup.
Love picked apart this Vikings defense on the road in Week 17 last season by completing 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards and three scores.
MORE: Simulate the Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
Signs point to Love returning, but Malik Willis gave us as unique a run as you could ask for. He won both starts and the Packers didn’t have 20 pass attempts in either game. They had one such win in the 357 prior to Willis taking over.
It’s worth noting that the Vikings have at least five sacks in every game this season. They’re the first team since the 2001 Saints with at least five sacks in each of their first three games of the season. Love’s mobility and durability will be put to the test if he suits up.
Love’s Fantasy Outlook in Week 4
It was no secret that Love (knee) was a long shot to play last week, and while he took the field to warm up pre-game, he was ultimately ruled inactive with the team being given a little leeway thanks to its Week 2 upset of the Colts.
There are still boxes to check, but the tea leaves last week seemed to be pointing toward a Week 4 return for this divisional showdown. Of course, his status remains deserving of attention, but entering this week with the expectation to have your QB1 back is plenty reasonable.
Love sits just outside of my top 12 at the position this week, but that’s more the result of some plus-matchups for the signal callers in his vicinity (namely Joe Burrow in Carolina and Jayden Daniels in Arizona). Love picked apart this Vikings defense on the road in Week 17 last season by completing 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards and three scores, a ceiling that is certainly there in his return to action.
In that performance, Love had no issue with Minnesota’s high-pressure defense, as he completed 13 of 19 passes against the blitz, racking up 135 yards and a touchdown on those passes. Could he be a little slow on the trigger in his return? Could the Vikings back off a bit, thus capping Love’s per-throw upside?
There are enough concerns to justify taking it slow with welcoming Love back into your fantasy lineup, but if you’ve been getting by with a fringe QB (former NFC Northers like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins come to mind), you should be comfortable plugging Love into your lineup for his first game played in the United States this season.
Love’s Fantasy Outlook for the Rest of the Season
Last season, Love averaged 20.9 fantasy points per game from Week 10 onward and was the overall QB5 over that span.
On the season, Love averaged 19.4 points per game, finishing as the QB5 — and it didn’t feel flukey.
The Packers didn’t alter their offensive philosophy too much in a post-Aaron Rodgers world. They were still one of the most pass-heavy teams in the red zone, with Love’s 100 pass attempts inside the 20 being second in the league.
In an era of football where defenses are going out of their way to take away the deep ball, Love didn’t seem to care. His 8.5 intended air yards per attempt was fifth in the league. That willingness to push the ball down the field helped him to have a successful fantasy season.
Benefiting Love was and is one of the deepest groups of pass catchers in the NFL. By no means do the Packers have the best wide receivers and tight ends, but they certainly have the most in terms of NFL-caliber players.
Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Bo Melton are all NFL-level WR3s, at worst. Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, meanwhile, both look like starting tight ends.
The problem with Love from a fantasy perspective is his lack of rushing. He’s capable of moving around in the pocket and tactically scrambling, but PFN only has him projected for 233 rushing yards and 2.9 rushing touchdowns.
In PFN’s rest-of-season rankings, Love is currently ranked as the QB11 and the No. 112 player overall.