It would be an understatement to say that Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s 2023 campaign was a case of Jekyll and Hyde.
Love began his first full season as the starting quarterback for the Packers with a pair of impressive victories in which he completed passes for six touchdowns and no interceptions. Love did not complete 60% of his passes both times, though, so you could see some chinks in his armor.
Subsequently, Love had a catastrophic run of eight touchdowns and ten interceptions from Weeks 3 through 10, which saw Green Bay go just 1-5 during that time.
During that period, Love appeared so confused at times that people began to wonder if the Packers would consider cutting him after the season.
Love, however, went on a wild ride the rest of the way, finishing the season with 18 touchdowns and just one interception in a 6-2 run for Green Bay that surprised everyone by making the playoffs. After leading the Packers past the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
With a strong group of young pass-catchers and a developing team around him, Love, 25, made it clear that he was Green Bay’s franchise quarterback. 2024 may be the year that Love breaks through to become a superstar.
Naturally, we have to be cautious since there is such a thing as the sophomore slump. Since everyone is now well-versed in Love, opposing defenders will do all in their power to take advantage of his vulnerabilities. Love, meanwhile, appears to be prepared for it based on his 2023 midseason modifications.
The Packers need to strengthen their offensive line, possibly address issues with their linebacking group and secondary, and add a few more pieces through the NFL Draft.
However, Love already has a lot of the components in place. He can use his arm skill to take advantage of a variety of weapons, which include tight end Luke Musgrave and wide receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks. Josh Jacobs, a running back, was also added by Green Bay in free agency.
This past season, Love demonstrated its capacity to withstand hardship. In the playoffs, he also showed some fairly remarkable grit by defeating a home-unbeaten Cowboys club in a hostile Dallas environment. Heck, the next week in San Francisco, Love led into the fourth quarter.
It won’t be simple for Love and company because the Packers are in the competitive NFC North division, which also includes the Detroit Lions and the young Chicago Bears. However, Jordan Love has already proven to possess both remarkable athletic and mental skills.
In 2024, watch for the young signal-caller to advance.