Packers may need to rely on Jordan Love more than usual because of unsettled rushing attack

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay’s Jordan Love already has established himself as one of the game’s elite quarterbacks as far as Packers coach Matt LaFleur is concerned.

Love will certainly get a chance to prove that this season.

The unsettled nature of Green Bay’s rushing attack without three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs means the Packers may have to depend on their passing game more than usual. The Packers open the season Sunday at Minnesota.

“No matter who’s out there, I want to be the best,” Love said. “I want to go out there and execute my job at a high level on every play. So, I think for everybody — the receivers, you don’t have to go out there and do anything fancy or try and do anything more. It’s just go out there and do your job and make plays.”

Love hasn’t yet received a Pro Bowl invitation despite leading the Packers to playoff berths in each of his three seasons as a starting quarterback. When he was asked about the next step Love must take to be considered among the league’s best quarterbacks, LaFleur contended that the 27-year-old already has entered that class.

“I get so confused by that question every time, because I think he’s an elite player,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “So I don’t know. I’ll let you guys figure that out, what the next step is.”

LaFleur believes Love might get more recognition if the Packers made a longer postseason run.

Green Bay hasn’t advanced beyond the divisional round of the playoffs in Love’s three seasons as a starter and has lost in the wild-card round each of the past two years.

“I think a lot of times it’s due to team success,” LaFleur said. “And the more success we have, the more people will view him in that light.”

Love wasn’t to blame for the Packers’ five-game skid that ended their 2025 season.

A helmet-to-helmet hit from Chicago’s Austin Booker knocked Love out of an overtime loss to the Bears on Dec. 20 and prevented him from playing in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens the next week. Green Bay rested Love and its other starters for its regular-season finale at Minnesota.

Love returned for the playoffs and threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, but the Packers fell 31-27 at Chicago after allowing 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Another issue that could impact the perception of Love is that the Packers generally don’t pass the ball as often as many other teams. According to Sportradar, only four teams ran the ball a higher percentage of time than the Packers did last season. The Packers had the third-highest rushing percentage in 2024.

Love tied for 14th in the league in touchdown passes (23) and ranked 13th in passing yards (3,381) and 19th in pass attempts (439) last season. He was intercepted only six times.

The Packers may need to lean on Love more this season, particularly as long as Jacobs is unable to play or practice because of his placement on the commissioner’s exempt list. Jacobs has a court appearance scheduled for Thursday as he faces misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend.

Love’s teammates believe he can handle that extra responsibility.

“Since I’ve been playing with him, he’s never flinched,” wide receiver Jayden Reed said. “That’s the biggest thing for him that I see. He’s the same guy out there every play, through adversity, through great plays. He just does a great job leading the offense, and he’s going to continue to do that.”

Love should benefit from the fact that three of his top playmakers finally are all healthy at the same time.

The Packers didn’t have the entire trio of Reed, Christian Watson and tight end Tucker Kraft all available for a single game last season. Watson made his season debut Oct. 26 as he recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament until Oct. 26. Kraft’s season ended when he tore his ACL on Nov. 2. Reed went on injured reserve Sept. 20 with shoulder and foot injuries, and he didn’t come back until Dec. 7.

They’re all good to go for the start of this season.

“I think you guys see what we can do all together,” Reed said. “That’s huge, to have all of us together, plus MG (Matthew Golden) plus all the other playmakers we have. I think we can be the best in the league, me personally. We’ve just got to put that all on display on Sunday.”

NOTES: DT Warren Brinson (calf) and LB Ty’Ron Hopper (Achilles) didn’t practice Tuesday. … RB Damon Bankston and S Kahlef Hailassie joined the practice squad. S Murvin Kenion III was released from the practice squad.

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