The Green Bay Packers have their quarterbacks set for 2023. Of course, the current situation could have been assumed since Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jordan Love, whom the Packers drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, is now the starting quarterback after three seasons of sitting behind Aaron Rodgers. Sean Clifford, whom the Packers drafted in the fifth round this year, has been named as Love’s backup.
If the quarterback dynamic in Green Bay is a surprise to anyone, it shouldn’t be. While there were many who suggested the Packers sign a veteran quarterback to serve as Love’s backup, Green Bay’s history has shown that they are more than willing to have rookie draft picks in that role.
When Rodgers took over for Brett Favre as the starting quarterback in 2008, the Packers drafted two rookie quarterbacks: Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn. Throughout Rodgers’ tenure as the Packers’ starter, he had several rookie backups:
Love, of course, spent his rookie season on the practice squad while Boyle served as Rodgers’ backup in 2020.
Now Love is the starter and finds himself in a position to work with a help develop a young quarterback while he himself continues to grow his game.
Unlike Rodgers, Love had the fortune of having a starting quarterback ahead of him who wanted to help him become the best player that he could be. For all that has transpired between Rodgers and the Packers, never once did Rodgers say a bad word about Love, nor has Love had anything bad to say about Rodgers.
Of course, the dynamic between Love and Clifford will be different than that between Rodgers and Love. After all, Clifford was not drafted to be Love’s replacement. However, that does not mean Love is not going to help him develop and become better.
Love spoke to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky about what he expects from Clifford as his backup and how they will work together:
“My job when I was a backup was, just be the eyes for Aaron [Rodgers] from the sideline. Obviously, he sees a lot, he knows what’s going on most of the time in the game — but just be those eyes when he comes back to the sideline, be able to communicate what happened, if you might have missed a look, maybe tell him a guy was open or whatnot.
“The same things me and Sean will talk about that I’ll ask from him. Just communication during games, just help prepare me for going into the week, but also his job’s preparing himself as well. Get ready. God forbid what might happen, but he’s got himself ready as well.”
Love has been known to say that, over the past two seasons, he has always approached each week as if he were the starting quarterback. In the NFL, one needs that mentality because one never knows when their number might be called.
Clifford, too, recently stated that he will approach each week the same way.
So much emphasis is put on the quarterback position, and rightly so. It is arguably the most important single position in the world of sports. That being said, many do not realize how much work goes into preparing for games and what is discussed on the sidelines during the game, not to mention the film sessions that occur afterward.
It takes more than one set of eyes, and another set of players’ eyes (i.e. another quarterback’s perspective) is vital to making, executing, and reviewing the game plan. While it may not be obvious, Clifford will play a big role in Love’s first season as the Packers’ starting quarterback.
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