GREEN BAY, Wis. — In his three years as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback, Jordan Love has always been the elder statesman.
He was just 24 years old when he took the reins from Aaron Rodgers after spending three years in the future Hall-of-Famer's shadow. Now it's Love, 27, who is blossoming into a veteran signal-caller before the world's eyes.
2026 will mark the first time that he'll have a seasoned quarterback in the same room who isn't the starter. The Packers signed 15-year veteran Tyrod Taylor on Monday, almost immediately making him the de facto No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart after they released Desmond Ridder as the corresponding roster move. It's Love, Taylor, undrafted free agent Kyron Drones, and Kyle McCord, who signed a futures deal with the Packers in January.
There's no disputing the hierarchy -- the 100 games that Taylor has played throughout an extensive career automatically give him a leg up over the rest of the competition, even if he still has yet to learn the offense. Drones and McCord will battle over the summer for the developmental No. 3 job that almost certainly guarantees a spot on the practice squad.
Jordan Love is no longer the elder statesman in the Packers' quarterback room. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
The Packers haven't seen much of Taylor yet, and Wednesday will be just his third day in Green Bay, but they have a decade-and-a-half worth of evidence as to what he could potentially bring to their stable of quarterbacks. His value is immense -- someone who has been around as long as Taylor has seen just about everything under the sun. The league is much different in 2026 than it was in 2011, and yet, Taylor has managed to transcend eras.
"Yeah, he's only been here a couple of days," said position coach Luke Getsy on Wednesday, according to The Athletic. "The cool part is, when he walked in the room, you can feel the presence, the confidence, the composure. He's seen a lot, he's been in a lot of tof different systems, so that part of it -- how quickly he's able to pick up on things."
New (and old) Packers QB coach Luke Getsy with high praise for Tyrod Taylor’s early impression here at Lambeau pic.twitter.com/zIeuQi3wOl
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 6, 2026
After ending the draft without selecting a quarterback, finding a veteran may have been paramount on their to-do list. The Packers needed someone with extensive experience that they could trust to step in and potentially win them a game or two in the event Love goes down with an injury -- something that Malik Willis, who spent two years as the primary backup, had demonstrated he was capable of doing.
Willis was just barely getting his feet wet in the league by the time the Packers traded a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for him. He had just two years under his belt by that point -- for as pivotal as he was to some of the Packers' success during his stint, it's that veteran savvy that he lacked.
"[Taylor] showed up here and we were going right to drills," Getsy said. "He's a true pro, and i twas cool to see. As far as the juice, he's definitely still got that."
Like Taylor, who turns 37 this summer, Getsy is also stepping back into a not-too-foreign role of his own. Not only was he promoted to assistant head coach on Matt LaFleur's staff this offseason, but he was also named as the Packers' new quarterbacks coach.
Tyrod Taylor was a three-year starter for the Bills, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2015. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Getsy had spent the first four years of his professional coaching career in Green Bay as a receivers coach and offensive quality control coach. After departing at the conclusion of the 2017 season, Getsy returned in 2019 on LaFleur's staff as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. He left the Packers for a second time after three years, spending the next three seasons bouncing between offensive coordinator jobs for the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders.
After the Raiders fired Getsy midway through the 2024 campaign, he returned to the Packers for a third time as a senior offensive consultant.
The Packers have seen the last two position coaches for their quarterbacks flourish. It was a job held by the highly-regarded Tom Clements, who is largely credited for the early development of both Rodgers and Love. Former quarterback Sean Mannion spent one year as Clements' protege before becoming his successor in 2025 -- it took just one season for the Philadelphia Eagles to name Mannion as their offensive coordinator.
Now it's a familiar face in Getsy who will work closely with Love and the rest of the Packers' arms in 2026 and potentially beyond.
Across his tenure in Green Bay, Willis was 70-of-89 for 1,233 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns. It's unlikely that Taylor will replicate that level of success if called upon, but the Packers are banking on his athleticism; he's a much safer bet than the other inexperienced options on the roster.
It was almost imperative that they brought in someone who could operate LaFleur's offense similarly to that of Willis -- both quarterbacks are essentially carbon copies with their ability to weaponize their legs. That's showcased by the 2,400-plus rushing yards Taylor has amassed throughout his career.
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 12th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com