One of the Packers priorities in the 2021 preseason was to get quarterback Jordan Love as many reps as possible. A shoulder injury kept Love out for about a week, but he came back and played in the team’s preseason finale against Buffalo.
Overall, Love finished the preseason 24-of-35 passing for 271 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
On Wednesday, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst praised Love for a strong August.
“I thought he had a fantastic camp, I really did,” Gutekunst said in his press conference. “Obviously, he had a little bit of a pause in there where he missed some time, which would’ve been nice for him to have. But I thought he did an excellent job. Really saw the growth that we needed to see. I was excited for him. Obviously, nothing’s perfect and there’s definitely some things in there that I think he’ll take from this preseason with him as he goes. But I thought it was fantastic.
“I thought for his first live action since Utah State, I thought he was very calm, poised. I thought he was able to get in and out of the plays that Matt wanted him to get in and out of. And I didn’t think the rush bothered him. I thought he kept his eyes downfield. I thought he made some really good throws and, again, obviously there are some moments that he’ll look back on and grow from. But at the same time, he moved the team. We would’ve like to have finished better in that last game. But I thought it was really, really positive.”
Barring an injury to Aaron Rodgers or some sort of mop-up duty, Love is now on the shelf for the regular season. But for someone who hadn’t suited up for a game for nearly two years, Love made a good impression on the Packers’ brass when it comes to his progress.