Jordan Love’s 2024 debut ended on the dourest of notes after the Green Bay Packers quarterback suffered a sprained MCL on what was essentially a meaningless final play in Week 1.
Initial diagnoses suggested Love would be sidelined for three to four weeks. The Packers didn’t place him on injured reserve, indicating they believed Love would miss fewer than the four games required by an IR stint.
On Wednesday, head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t rule out the possibility of Love shocking the NFL world and suiting up for Green Bay’s Week 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Will Packers QB Jordan Love Return For Week 2?
Asked if the door remains open for Love to suit up against the Colts, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said, “I’d say it’s pretty open.”
After Love was held out of Wednesday’s practice, LaFleur said Love would not have to practice to play on Sunday.
“He’s doing a nice job,” LaFleur said. “He’s spending a lot of time in the training room. Our guys have done a great job with him. But at the same time, like I told you guys, he’s got to be cleared.
“We’ve got to feel like he can protect himself, and he’s got to be confident enough to go out there and do that. Until that happens, we are not even going to think about that.”
Love continued to sit out of practice on Thursday and remains a long shot to play against the Colts in Week 2. LaFleur may be simply trying to make Indy defensive coordinator Gus Bradley spend extra preparation time worrying whether Love will be available.
Love is the face and the future of the Packers. In July, he signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension that made him — at the time — the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
It’s hard to believe that LaFleur or general manager Brian Gutekunst would feel comfortable risking Love’s health. If this were Super Bowl week, things might be different — but this is Week 2.
Malik Willis, whom the Packers acquired from the Tennessee Titans in late August, will start on Sunday, assuming Love sits out. Green Bay staged a training camp QB2 competition between Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, but neither option stood out, leading Gutekunst to trade for Willis.
Willis, admittedly, hasn’t done much in his NFL career. In three starts, he’s completed 35 of 66 attempts for 350 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions while adding 144 rushing yards.
Still, LaFleur believes the former third-round pick can step into Love’s shoes.
“It’s not like we’re dealing with a rookie here that has no background,” LaFleur said. “A lot of these offenses do similar things. It’s just how do you do them? When do you do them? What are you putting where?”