And Jordan Love waits again.
Now that the longstanding question of whether Aaron Rodgers would return to the Packers for the 2022 season has finally been answered – the 38-year-old is staying in Green Bay with a new boatload of cash – the fallout begs another question: What’s Love got to do with it?
With Rodgers seemingly locked in as the Packers’ quarterback for the next few years (NFL Network reported it is a four-year deal), Love could soon become a trade candidate – just two years after the franchise spent a first-round draft pick on him.
Love, 23, started one game last season, against the Chiefs, while Rodgers was out with COVID-19. He went 19-for-34 for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the 13-7 loss at Kansas City. He also came off the bench in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Lions, going 10-for-17 for 134 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the 37-30 loss. Otherwise, he has largely been glued to the bench in his first two years in the NFL.
AP Jeff Hanisch
AP Matt Ludtke
The Packers drafted Love 26th overall out of Utah State in 2020 with an apparent plan to let him learn under Rodgers before eventually taking over upon his departure, just as Rodgers had done for three years before succeeding Brett Favre.
But Rodgers’ exit, which seemed inevitable not long ago, has now been pushed back again. With it, the Green Bay’s decision to use a first-round pick on Love – instead of adding help for Rodgers elsewhere – continues to look worse.