Packers QB Jordan Love welcomes getting hit in preseason games

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love never goes into a game with the goal of being hit. At the same time, he does welcome it happening to him, even in a preseason game.

As Love explained, getting hit in a preseason game is going to help prepare him.

“I haven’t been hit since last year,” Jordan Love said. “I’m never trying to get hit, that’s never the goal, but it does prepare you, get your mind back in that live mentality.”

The preseason is about getting ready for the season. Part of that, to Love’s point, is taking hits in live action for the first time since last season. Otherwise, he’d have to react and handle a hit for the first time in months in a real game.

At the same time, the Packers need Jordan Love to be healthy for the season itself. So, having him go out there and get hit too much isn’t the ideal situation. Because of that, Green Bay is likely to be cautious about the situation, and only let him play a couple of series.

“Yeah, the plan to get a couple of series out there. Not sure how many yet. We’re going to base it off practice, how it went,” Love said. “But I’m excited, I definitely want to be out there, get some reps, get back in the game mode.”

For his part, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t want to confirm that Love would play in the first preseason game. Instead, he only admitted that there was a “pretty good chance” that Love is going to play.

The Green Bay Packers open up preseason play on Friday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s one of three chances they’ll get to prepare for the 2023 season.

Jordan Love on how his leadership style has changed

This season, Jordan Love is making the jump from backing up a legend to being the starter who replaces that legend. It’s not an easy role to play and Love knows that it’s going to need to come with a change in his leadership style.

“It’s definitely changed,” Love said, via NFL Network. “I think a lot of it is being able to see some of the older guys, see Aaron, how he leads, and get a feel for how that is. Coming from college, you kind of have your own way of doing things and you get here and see someone else do it. So you kind of grow as a player right there and as a leader.”