Packers’ Jordan Love has ‘No Concern’ About Thumb Injury, will Wear Brace to Start Season

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love returned to practice Thursday after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a ligament in his left thumb. The third-year starter says he has “no concern” about the injury and expects to play in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, though he’ll begin the season wearing a protective brace.

Love explained that the surgery was necessary to restore stability and strength in the thumb on his non-throwing hand.

“It was pretty much just a limp thumb. I couldn’t really do much with it,” Love said. “I didn’t want to deal with that throughout the course of the season. Who knows if the thumb would have kept suffering more injuries, kept worsening? The doctors recommended going ahead with surgery to fix it and aiming to get as close to 100% as possible for the season.”

For now, Love is still limiting his use of the left thumb, relying on his right hand for all handoffs during practice. He admitted the brace will likely stay on for “some weeks,” depending on how the thumb responds to live game contact.

Back on the Field

Thursday’s session featured a simulated game orchestrated by head coach Matt LaFleur, the closest test Love has had to real action since the procedure. He only began participating in full 11-on-11 drills a day earlier, after weeks of individual work and limited snaps.

Despite the ramp-up, Love doesn’t believe the injury will hinder his performance once the season begins.

“It’ll be some weeks having it braced up and just keeping it protected,” Love said. “We’ll play it by ear as I get into games and see how it feels.”

Supporting Cast Getting Healthy

Love isn’t the only Packer working his way back. Wide receivers Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) returned to practice this week, while general manager Brian Gutekunst acknowledged the limited reps have left the offense still searching for rhythm.

“Between our receivers and him being kind of nicked up, we certainly haven’t had the amount of work that you would have liked,” Gutekunst said. “But there’s a lot of trust there with him as far as getting himself ready to play Week 1.”

The only projected starter still sidelined is cornerback Nate Hobbs, who underwent knee surgery on Aug. 2. Initially, he was expected to return for the opener, but his status remains uncertain.

What’s Ahead

Love enters his third season as Green Bay’s starting quarterback coming off a 2024 campaign in which he threw for 3,389 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 15 games. He’ll have a new first-round target in rookie Matthew Golden and some added defensive insurance after the blockbuster addition of Micah Parsons this offseason.

With his thumb surgery behind him and a protective brace ready to carry him through early-season contact, Love insists he’ll be ready when the Packers open against the Lions on Sept. 7.