GREEN BAY, Wis. — Still on the mend from undergoing thumb surgery last Monday, the Green Bay Packers aren't throwing Jordan Love completely into the fire quite yet.
On Tuesday, head coach Matt LaFleur said that the team's starting quarterback will take part in Thursday's joint practice against the Seattle Seahawks, but on a "very limited" basis. That likely means Love won't participate in the 11-on-11 team drills against the Seahawks' defense, but rather a 7-on-7 session that LaFleur coordinated with head coach Mike Macdonald. In that period, Love won't be in danger of facing an opposing pass rush.
It's the latest example of precaution that the Packers are taking with Love ahead of the regular season opener on Sept. 7. He was shelved for last week's joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts as well as the ensuing preseason game on Saturday. Love was back at practice on Monday with a heavily-wrapped left hand—he didn't handle any traditional snaps from under center or shotgun. Due to the torrential downpour in Green Bay at the time of practice, the Packers' strength and conditioning staff went the extra mile to wrap Love's left hand in a protective plastic to ensure the thumb wrapping doesn't get damaged.
"I thought it was good just to get him back out there, back in the mix and into the rhythm of playing quarterback," LaFleur said. "We did some different things with him that we haven't done in the past. I thought it was good work."
Jordan Love and Malik Willis before the Packers face the Colts in a preseason game on Aug. 16. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
In the demoralizing loss at the hands of the New York Jets in the exhibition opener, Love and the starters only played two offensive series. The thumb injury occurred on a third-down sack when Love was attempting to navigate and step up into a collapsing pocket, ultimately being dragged down by defensive tackle Jay Tufele. In the process, Love banged his thumb off someone's helmet.
It was something that Love would've likely been able to play through. He even participated in and fully completed the following Monday's practice before his procedure, but not without some adjustments; he had to hand off the football with his right hand instead of his left. The Packers and Love both opted for surgery to ensure that this wasn't going to be a problem that lingers into the regular season.
Despite the ongoing battle for the third-string—or emergency—quarterback job, LaFleur anticipates Malik Willis, Love's primary backup, playing the majority of the first-team snaps against the Seahawks on Saturday. That may not be the case for the joint practice, depending on how Love's thumb progresses over the next two days, but Willis is in line for the start in the preseason finale. It may not be for long, as this will be the Packers' final opportunity to evaluate Sean Clifford and Taylor Elgersma.
Through two preseason games, Elgersma has completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 133 yards and a 94.6 passer rating. Clifford, meanwhile, is 3-of-8 for 25 yards and a 46.4 passer rating. He did, however, scamper for an 11-yard touchdown run against the Colts to ultimately secure the Packers' victory.
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th 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