The Green Bay Packers are poised to roll into the 2023 season with Jordan Love as their starting quarterback. As the franchise prepares to turn the page on Aaron Rodgers, though, it appears Love could experience something his predecessor went through.
Green Bay has made its intentions at quarterback clear. Three years after it spent a first-round pick on Love, the franchise will turn its offense over to him in 2023. As the young quarterback trains with teammates during the offseason, the Packers front office continues evaluating the 2023 draft class and negotiating a trade with the New York Jets.
- Hendon Hooker stats (Tennessee): 58-5 TD-INT, 178.3 QB rating, 6,080 passing yards, 68.8% completion rate, 1,046 rushing yards in 24 games
Once a trade with New York goes through, repeating history by dealing a Hall of Fame quarterback to the Jets, the Packers could attempt to replicate their process once again.
According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, the Packers will be hosting Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker later this week for a pre-draft visit.
It’s worth considering the organization’s history in regard to this move. In the same offseason Green Bay traded Favre to the Jets and announced Rodgers as its starting quarterback, the Packers selected Brian Brohm with the 56th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Similar to the current scenario, the Packers have a lot of confidence in the quarterback they’ve spent the last three years developing. However, their approach always keeps the future in mind and the organization has demonstrated it is willing to draft a quarterback even if it likes its starter.
Hooker, who turned 25 years old in January, suffered a torn ACL late in his senior season. While the knee injury derailed his Heisman Trophy campaign, it came late in the year after he proved to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
A capable dual-threat quarterback with a strong arm and outstanding leadership, Hooker would be an intriguing option for Green Bay in the second round. While the recovery from ACL surgery will sideline him for a portion of the 2023 season, he could eventually become Love’s backup and then develop into a promising quarterback.
While it would still be relatively surprising to see the Packers spend a top-50 pick on a quarterback, few expected them to draft Love. Considering how history seems to be repeating itself years after the Favre-Rodgers sage, it’s possible Hooker becomes the Brohm to Rodgers in 2008.
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