Teams must surround their young starting quarterback with plenty of options in today’s NFL. Relying on them to carry a lot of the burden is how you end up with a revolving door at the position.
We’re looking at you, Chicago.
That begs the question, as Jordan Love enters 2025 as a Year 3 starter: Is Green Bay putting too much on his plate?
It’s true that you can find stats that back whatever narrative you believe in. It’s also true that no matter how you search through Love’s numbers in 2024, he didn’t deliver on the loftier expectations.
Love dealt with three separate injuries, which undoubtedly played a part in some head-scratching performances. But if you’re on the field, you’re deemed good enough to go, and judgment will follow.
Last offseason, the Packers gave Love got elite, superstar quarterback money when he signed an extension in Green Bay. However, he finished 2024 looking like the third-best quarterback in the NFC North.
The playoff loss in Philadelphia, where Love went 20 for 33 for 212 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions, was the cherry on top of a frustrating year for the passing game.
Love still has the backing and support of the franchise, as he should. And plenty of fans and analysts expect him to bounce back in 2025 and prove he can be elite. He just might. But with all the uncertainty, how is it possible to not put him in a better spot to succeed?
To explain:
Jayden Daniels took the league by storm during his rookie season and led the Washington Commanders to an NFC Championship appearance. The Commanders already had a star receiver, Terry McLaurin, in place. They could have sat back and expected Daniels to take on even more next year. Instead, Washington traded for wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Is Samuel a bona fide superstar wide receiver?
No.
Is he worth the price of admission?
Debatable.
Still, he’s another weapon for Daniels to utilize as the team builds around its star QB.
Green Bay added running back Josh Jacobs in free agency last year. That proved to be a home-run addition. Of course, they also lost Aaron Jones in the process.
Given how things went in 2024 with the passing game, it made all the sense in the world to add in other ways outside of the draft. Instead, the Packers look satisfied with expecting Love to solve many of the riddles himself.
Let’s not mistake this for something it isn’t.
By all accounts, Love has already proven he can be a good starting quarterback in the NFL. That floor has been set. The passing game woes last season don’t go down single-handedly as Love’s fault. Green Bay had the third-most drops (33) and second-highest drop rate (6.9%) in the NFL.
Therein lies the problem.
Love had his struggles in 2024 and dealt with injuries. The wide receivers certainly had their issues, primarily with catching the ball. Scheming to get them open consistently was also an issue down the stretch. There’s more than one layer to this problem, and the Packers haven’t addressed it in any capacity this offseason.
The passing game has to be better in 2025, or Green Bay can kiss any Super Bowl dreams goodbye.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington summed it up best during a recent appearance on Get Up.
I don’t necessarily think it’s about Jordan Love. It’s about the team around him. I believe that the Packers are convinced Jordan Love is a capable quarterback in a championship game just as the Eagles did with Jalen Hurts. It’s about the foundation that’s built around him. And, to that, I don’t think the Packers are ready for a Super Bowl run yet.
Green Bay is taking a risk by bringing back the same core. Opting to rely on Love to shoulder more weight instead of easing things up for him is a bigger risk.
Even if the Packers draft a wide receiver early, given their history, that selection won’t step right in and immediately produce, especially not at the level of a WR1.
It’s certainly possible that Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks will make the gigantic leap into being a go-to threat that tops the charts for the team. It’s also likely that Love figures it to the point thatthat he becomes an elite quarterback who can always work with what’s around him.
But pessimism outweighs the optimism at the moment, given some of the grim memories from the end of last season. After the Packers didn’t do anything in free agency and the big names are off the board, they will fill up Love’s plate even more in 2025.