What's wrong with Jordan Love? How Packers are failing franchise QB as 2026 falls apart image
Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Fans at Lambeau Field booed throughout a stunning 35-14 blowout loss in the home opener to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football. The Packers are 1-2 and could easily be 0-3 when factoring in an overtime escape against the New York Jets in Week 2. Green Bay is behind in the NFC North race, and it could be too late when edge rusher Micah Parsons returns.
That is good talk-show fodder for the next 10 days — but it's not even close to the worst part of the early-season disaster in Green Bay. The Packers are ruining quarterback Jordan Love in plain sight and that's the problem Matt LaFleur needs to maintain if he wants to salvage what is left of his tenure as Packers coach — an era that is clearly running on borrowed time.
Why? The fans will come back with a few wins. The NFC North race isn't over yet, and Parsons' eventual return will lift the defense where the pin popped against the Falcons.
None of that matters, however, if the Packers can't protect their investment in Love, who is on a $220 million contract that runs through 2029.
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What's wrong with Jordan Love?
Let's start with what isn't Love's fault. The stress of a lack of run support and poor offensive line play reached the breaking point against the Falcons.
Green Bay running backs MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Chris Books have combined for 46 carries for 146 yards through three games — an average of 3.1 yards per carry. Atlanta's Bijan Robinson 194 rushing yards and two TDs against the Packers on Thursday.
Green Bay averages 48.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks last behind the Cleveland Browns at 65.5 rushing ypg. Chicago leads the NFL with 212.5 rushing yards per game. That is how far the Packers are behind their rivals.
The offensive line, which lost tackle Zach Bako-Bewele for the season to a torn patellar tendon in Week 2, is the biggest issue. It is an inexperienced group, and it shows.
According to PFF.com, Love has been pressured a league-high 59 times on 133 dropbacks — or 44.3% of the time. To put that in perspective, Aaron Rodgers, who is reunited with former Packers coach Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh, has been pressured 32 times on 86 dropbacks — or 37.2% of the time. If it's better in Pittsburgh right now with the former regime, and that's saying something.
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Few, if any, quarterbacks can have success with that pressure rate. Love is 18 of 50 (36%) for 300 yards and two interceptions under pressure this season. Why would a defensive coordinator do anything else but bring the heat?
Love played through against the Vikings in Week 1 with 387 passing yards. But it's taken a toll against the Jets and Falcons the last two weeks. He has a 52.4% completion percentage for the season with a hit-or-miss passing game — and he's 3 of 13 for 119 yards on passes of 20 yards or more. Love's accuracy was off against the Falcons, and the lowlight was a fourth-and-1 with Green Bay trailing 17-7 in the third quarter.
The Packers couldn't run the ball. Love's failed sneak in Week 1 against the Vikings was after LaFleur took a field goal off the board. What do you do? A play-action pass out of the back end zone to nobody because everybody else is covered.
That's not going to work either. This is going to test the QB-coach relationship — especially if it does not improve. Love has played above average and flirted with elite since taking over for Rodgers as the starter – and for the first time it's been below average to bad. What is the shelf life for Love taking the hits for the entire organization?
"We have a long season ahead of us, and it's a long journey," Love said in his post-game press conference. "We know that I always have confidence in Matt. I've been with him for so long, and I've seen what we can do as an offense. I've seen what the highs look like as an offense. That's the most frustrating part. We're not there."
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Packers fans can pin-point the moment the Rodgers-McCarthy moment tipped for the worse, a 34-30 loss to the Bengals on Sept. 22, 2013 when the quarterback and coach engaged in a heated exchange about the play-calling. It took five years, but that was the bad seed. That pattern is starting over in Pittsburgh 13 years later, and it still looks better than what is going on in Green Bay.
The Packers are at a crossroads with LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst. If LaFleur is fired now, then Green Bay admits it's punting on a season before Parsons returns. McCarthy was let go after a 4-7-1 start in 2018. LaFleur will not be fired until the season is absolutely lost, and he might still be the coach in 2027. Keep in mind that Cincinnati stuck through the last three seasons without making the playoffs with coach Zac Taylor, and the Bengals look like Super Bowl contenders again with Joe Burrow this season. Taylor, however, has the benefit of a Super Bowl appearance with his quarterback.
How much longer will LaFleur and Love stick together in this tough season? LaFleur has fallen out of favor in Green Bay, but another way to look at it is Green Bay is 1-7 since Parsons suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 against Denver last season. The Packers were a Super Bowl contender at that point.
That was before two blown leads against the Bears in the regular season and NFC Wild Card, another blown lead against the Vikings in Week 1 and whatever you want to call the last two weeks against the Jets and Falcons.
The biggest issue is there is no easy fix for that offensive line. There is not enough depth or experience. When you're talking about playing tight end Tucker Kraft on the interior line, that's more than just a small problem. That is a managerial failure.
Running back Josh Jacobs is on the NFL commissioner's exempt list – and the game-breaker at that position isn't there. That's nothing new either. Rodgers once played in an NFC championship game against the Falcons on Jan. 22, 2017 with fullback Aaron Ripkowski and receiver Ty Montgomery as the best options in the backfield. Not surprisingly, the Packers lost 44-21.
Which was no more surprising than what happened Thursday. If you can't protect a QB or give them a running game, then this is what happens. The longer it happens, then that relationship between quarterback and coach will tear, and we know Love is not going anywhere.
What does that say about LaFleur's future?
You know the answer.