Packers quarterback Jordan Love made a couple of garbage time appearances earlier this season, but Sunday night’s game against the Eagles was far from decided when the Packers turned his way.
Aaron Rodgers left with injured ribs late in the third quarter with the Packers trailing 34-23 and Love came off the bench to play the rest of the way. Love hooked up with Christian Watson for a 63-yard touchdown and went 6-of-9 for 113 yards in what wound up being a 40-33 Green Bay loss.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he was “not shocked” that Love played well because the 2020 first-round pick has “continued to get better and better each and every day in practice.” Love said that he felt more ready to play than he did when he started a game last season when Rodgers was out due to COVID.
“I felt more prepared,” Love said in his postgame media session. “It just comes down to reps and getting those reps and getting comfortable executing those plays. The more I can get, the more the situation is more comfortable.”
Love’s reps for the rest of the season will be a leading question over the final weeks of the season. Rodgers said on Sunday night that he hopes to play next weekend if all checks out medically, but the 4-8 Packers are on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention and that would likely change the equation when it comes to who will be playing out the string as the team looks to 2023.