Packers Look to Jordan Love for Leadership in Addition to Strong Play

The Green Bay Packers players and coaching staff are looking to quarterback Jordan Love for leadership as the team starts OTAs this week. The former first-round pick from Utah State understands the need for him to lead and is eager to help this team make a run at a title this season, even as he undergoes contract negotiations this offseason.

The Packers Look to Jordan Love for Leadership: The Situation

Love enters his second year as the Packers starting quarterback. He spent three years waiting behind Aaron Rodgers.

After a rough start in 2023, Love finished the season strong, throwing 18 touchdowns and just one interception in the final eight games of the season.

He also led the Packers to the playoffs after a 3-6 start. He did that despite the fact that the team had the youngest roster in the NFL last year and had no wide receivers or tight ends on the team that had more than one year of NFL experience.

Love led the Packers to a big upset win over the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round of the playoffs and had them ahead of the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter of the divisional playoff game.

Now, as the team begins preparations for Love’s second season as a starter, the quarterback and the Packers are involved in discussions about a contract extension. Love is under contract with the team for 2024 at a salary of $13 million with incentives that could earn him as much as a total of $22.5 million.

Jordan Love on the Team and His Leadership

Love understands the importance of leadership, especially with this young roster the Packers have this season. He also has grown from the difficult road he had to reach this point.

“I think that’s always a part of it just showing up and the other guys will follow, too,” Love said, “but I mean it’s a testament to everybody wanting to be here, wanting to get that work in.”

Despite his presence at all OTAs, Love didn’t view it as something special or unusual.

“That’s just something that I’ve always done,” Love told reporters Tuesday, “trying to be here, get the reps in, get the work in with the guys and just start building that chemistry and getting ready for the season.”

Love admitted it was tough to become a leader when he was serving as the team’s backup quarterback. “I think my leadership has grown every year, even more now. I think it was tough when Aaron [Rodgers] was still the quarterback, and I was the backup. To try and be in that leadership role and tell guys one thing when he might want something said differently. So, that was always tough and obviously now, being the guy last year, I try to elevate that role and talk to guys more, be in guys ear a little bit more and just try and focus on being a better leader.”

Even before he officially became the starter, Love won over veteran leaders on the team with the way he handled himself on and off the field. Players like De’Vondre Campbell and Aaron Jones quickly realized how good Love could be and how his leadership style could benefit the team.

Packers Coach Matt LaFleur On Jordan Love and Leadership

Head coach Matt LaFleur also likes the way his young quarterback’s leadership skills. “I just think you feel the confidence from him, the way he projects himself in front of the team, and that’s what you expect,” LaFleur told reporters. “You expect guys to continue to push and get better and better and better. The command that he has of the offense, I know the guys, they all respect the hell out of him, just in terms of who he is as a man and the work he puts in.”

LaFleur appreciates Love’s diligent attendance, something he didn’t have with his starter in 2022. “It’s everything to us,” LaFleur explained. “We’ve had almost 100 percent [attendance] the entire offseason, which has been the best that we’ve had since I’ve been here. And I always think that when you look around the league, when your quarterbacks there, it just naturally has a way of attracting everybody to come.”

The Packers are looking for more from Love both as a leader and on the field in his second year as a starter. The Packers will need that if they hope to contend for a title in the coming season.