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The Green Bay Packers went out and added a field-stretching and potentially game-altering weapon for Jordan Love, by drafting speedy wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round of the NFL Draft, but they need the quarterback to make a key stride in a key area of his game in 2025.
After battling through injuries last season and helping guide the Packers to the NFC Wild Card round, Green Bay is banking on Love improving on his 3,389 yards with 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions last season, when the 2025 campaign kicks off this fall.
Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love Must Overcome Key Obstacle
Over at Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Brad Gagnon put together a list of each starting quarterback’s biggest obstacle to overcome this season, including Love being more consistent.
“The numbers aren’t quite there,” Gagnon writes of Love for B/R. “And the Packers aren’t quite a true contender, partly because Love has extremely elevated highs combined with wildly shallow lows. He has to avoid more of the latter in 2025 and beyond.”
Whether Love can stay healthy, and his receivers–who also battled through injuries and inconsistency in their own right last season could hold the key to the 26-year-old becoming more consistent and the type of quarterback who can not just guide the Packers back to the postseason but perhaps lead a playoff run.
Golden’s arrival could be exactly what head coach Matt LaFleur and the offense need to capitalize on Love’s arm strength and elevate a vertical passing game that led the league in explosive plays last season, with 38.
However, hitting on those plays, boosting Love’s 63.1 completion percentage, which was his lowest as a full-time NFL starter, may be paramount to the offense reaching its potential in 2025.
For More Football News:
Follow Matt Lombardo on Threads at @MattLombardoNFL. To read more of our articles and in-depth NFL coverage, click here.
More must-reads:
- Standout performances from Week 1 of NFL preseason: Rookie, backup QBs shine
- Eagles get big injury scare at practice regarding key starter
- The 'NFL Defensive Players of the Year ' quiz
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Eagles get big injury scare at practice regarding key starter
The Philadelphia Eagles got a major injury scare during Sunday's open practice at Lincoln Financial Field when Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson went down with a leg injury and had to be carted off to the locker room. Dickerson was reportedly unable to put any weight on his leg. Dickerson, a second-round pick (No. 37 overall) by the team in 2021 has been a starter for the Eagles over the first four years of his career and developed into one of the best offensive linemen in football. He has been named to the Pro Bowl team in each of the past three seasons and is a key cog on the Eagles' line. The Eagles' O-line is one of the team's biggest strengths and a big part of its identity, and Dickerson has taken over as one of the top leaders on that group. The Eagles are already dealing with some depth issues on the interior of their line after backup Kenyon Green had to be carted off the field in their opening preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If Dickerson has to miss any significant time that would be a huge blow to the Eagles' offense and their running game. But it's still very early in the process and the Eagles will almost certainly know more by Monday. The Eagles were the second-leading rushing team in the NFL during the 2024 season, averaging 179 yards per game. Running back Saquon Barkley ran for over 2,000 yards as part of their season, with the offensive line playing a huge role in both of those achievements.
Jhoan Duran is showing he's everything the Phillies needed
Despite appearing in just four games for the Philadelphia Phillies, closer Jhoan Duran has already made an impact. Duran slammed the door shut again on Sunday afternoon, notching his fourth save in as many games as he closed out the Phillies' 4-2 victory over the Rangers. He has allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings, striking out three as he has retired 12 of the 13 batters he has faced since he was acquired at the trade deadline. The ninth inning had been a revolving door yet again for the Phillies this season. Closer Jose Alvarado had performed well, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.200 WHiP over his 20 innings, but was suspended for 80 games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Jordan Romano has been inconsistent at best, moving in and out of the closer role as he has posted a 6.64 ERA and a 1.347 WHiP over 39.1 innings entering Monday, striking out 41 batters with 15 walks. Although relievers Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm have pitched well, the Phillies have been reluctant to hand either the closer role. The Phillies paid handsomely to bring Duran on board. Pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait are both top-100 prospects and could be building blocks in Minnesota for years to come. Moving Duran could pay long-term dividends for the Twins. Meanwhile, the Phillies have a different goal in mind — winning the third World Series in franchise history. A constant revolving door in the ninth inning has kept that goal out of reach. While it is just a four-game sample size, Duran has been everything that the Phillies could have hoped for in their closer.
Former Tennessee standout from 2022 team parting ways with the Detroit Lions, but it's not who some Vol fans might be thinking
The Detroit Lions have added a handful of former Tennessee Vols over the last few years as they've worked their way up the NFC pecking order. QB Hendon Hooker, LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, CB Cam Sutton, and CB Emmanuel Moseley all ended up in the Motor City in recent years. After the 2024 season, Hooker was the only one out of that group to remain on the roster. Hooker did get a familiar face in the locker room recently, as the Lions also signed ex-Vols RB Jabari Small last month after putting him through a tryout. As it turns out, that reunion was short lived, as the Lions announced that they had waived small with the designation of an injury settlement. Small and Hooker were headliners together for Tennessee in 2022, with the duo leading the Vols rushing and passing attacks. Small led all Tennessee running backs with 13 rushing touchdowns (to go along with 734 rushing yards) and Hooker had one of the best seasons in Tennessee history (69.6 completion percentage for 3135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions) end with an unfortunate ACL tear against South Carolina, which almost certainly cut short a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Hooker now stands alone as the final Vol in the Motor City, and with the way he's been playing lately, it could be a matter of time before his tenure with the Lions comes to an end. Hooker, who has yet to take that next step at the NFL level, called his own performance in the 34-7 preseason opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers a "zero out of ten". He also struggled mightily on Friday night against James Pearce, Jr.'s Atlanta Falcons, going 7/10 for just 38 yards passing. For the time being, he remains as the last of a number of ex-Vols wearing the Honolulu blue and silver. Hopefully a preseason turnaround will help that tenure continue for a while longer.
NFL Teams Think Blockbuster Tyreek Hill Trade Might Be Coming
The Cheetah could be on the move. If Miami is looking to unload the Cheetah, then other NFL teams are willing to pounce. With vibes at an all-time low in South Beach following Tyreek Hill's late-season comments about being "out" last year, and lots of fences that need mending, many around the league are reportedly keeping their eye on the All-Pro's situation with the Dolphins in hopes of potentially adding him at the deadline — if not, sooner. Following the Fins' Week 17 loss to the Jets last January, Hill basically told the world that he no longer wanted to be with the team. Telling media members after the game, "I'm out, bro. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I gotta do what's best for my career because I'm too much of a competitor to be just out there." The eight-time Pro Bowler has since apologized for those remarks and said that he didn't mean them. But others in the locker room, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, believe there's a lot more that needs to be done on Hill's end before its aqua water under the MacArthur Causeway. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, several teams have mentioned that they're taking a look at the situation in Miami and have an interest in making a move for Hill should one become available. "I have talked to a few teams who are at least monitoring his future a little bit," Fowler revealed on "SportsCenter." "Could he be a potential trade target? Now, I know the Dolphins earlier this summer were telling teams, 'No, we're not trading Tyreek Hill.' But they just wonder, is he going to be available?" "It could be wishful thinking, maybe they want him to be available," the insider added. "But he's a player, when I bring up to teams, 'Hey, who is sort of a trade target you're watching?' — they bring up Tyreek Hill. So, we'll see. He's a big option for Tua [Tagovailoa], that would be a major move if they did move away from him." The all-decade receiver is entering his fourth season with the Dolphins after posting some of the lowest numbers of his career in 2024. We'll see how long it takes before Miami is willing to pick up the phone on Tyreek-related calls — especially if the team gets off to a bad start over the next few months.
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