Packers' Micah Parsons crowns Jordan Love after win over Steelers, Aaron Rodgers

Pass-rusher Micah Parsons only joined the Green Bay Packers via a trade from the Dallas Cowboys in late August and, thus, is still learning about having quarterback Jordan Love as a teammate. 

After Love outdueled Pittsburgh Steelers starter Aaron Rodgers to guide Green Bay to a 35-25 win that improved the Packers to 5-1-1 on Sunday night, Parsons crowned his current QB1. 

Micah Parsons names Jordan Love "the successor" to Aaron Rodgers

"He's showed he's the successor," Parsons said about Love, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "He's the up-and-coming. Like J-Love, talking about when I was coming here, I was like, 'I know they've got a quarterback, I know I've got a quarterback.' I'm just so proud of him, everything he's been through, how he's developed as a player, how he's developed as a person, and he's just playing some really good football right now."

Rodgers potentially looking for revenge against the team that traded him to the New York Jets in the spring of 2023 was the top storyline associated with Sunday's matchup. That said, he and Love had only positive things to say about each other last week regarding the relationship they built when Rodgers mentored the 2020 first-round draft pick through the 2022 campaign. 

At Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium, Love completed 29-of-37 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns. According to Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports, he became the first Green Bay signal-caller to connect on 20 consecutive passes in a game since Hall of Famer Brett Favre accomplished the feat during the 2007 season. To compare, Rodgers completed 24-of-36 pass attempts for 219 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday evening. 

Jordan Love filling Aaron Rodgers' shoes with Packers this fall

"The legacy that [Rodgers] left, I would say Jordan's filling those shoes," Packers tight end Tucker Kraft added after the win. "When you're talking about the Favre to Rodgers to Love, Jordan has stepped up and fulfilled his end of the bargain."

ESPN stats show that Love began Monday ranked sixth in the NFL among qualified players with a 73.5 adjusted QBR and fourth with a 112.8 passer rating on the season. Over seven games, he tossed 13 touchdown passes and only a pair of interceptions. 

Meanwhile, Green Bay will head into November holding a slight lead over the 5-2 Detroit Lions in the battle for the NFC North division title. As of Monday morning, ESPN BET had the Packers as massive 11.5-point favorites for their upcoming home game versus the Carolina Panthers (4-4) on Nov. 2. 

"It's great for Jordan," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said about his starting quarterback. "Jordan's worked his a— off to get here. He was patient throughout the process, throughout the journey, and he took advantage of the opportunity, he really did. It's been cool."