The Green Bay Packers are going to be doing something in 2023 that they haven’t done in a long time; playing without Aaron Rodgers. He has been the starter since 2008 when he took over for Brett Favre, but now it is Jordan Love’s time to shine under center.
The 2020 first-round pick out of Utah State will have some big shoes to fill, but the team is confident he is ready to step into the starting lineup. After having one player running the offense for so long, there will certainly be a period of adjustment to get used to having Love under center.
Everything from the cadence before snapping the ball and play calls will be different with Love at the helm. He will benefit from having the entire offseason knowing he is the starter to get up to speed, but replicating in-game snaps is an impossibility.
Joint practices and scrimmages are good tune-ups, but to gain in-game experience you need to be on the field. While it is certainly rare nowadays, especially with 17 regular season games, expect to see Love on the field during the preseason.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich recently spoke about the progress that the team’s offense is making. Things are still a work in progress and they will use the preseason as a way to see what is and isn’t working as trial runs for the regular season when games count.
“It’s kind of trial-and-error,” Stenavich said, via the Wisconsin State Journal. “I think the preseason, that’s going to be very important as well. But just going out there [during OTAs], getting him around all these young receivers and tight ends and working with our vets and allowing him to put his leadership on there, put his stamp on it [will be valuable]. And then once we see how it’s going, then you can go in that direction.” (H/T ProFootballTalk)
Playing time in the preseason is not uncommon for Love, as Rodgers has not appeared in an exhibition since 2018. Those reps will be extremely valuable not only for Love but for his teammates as well.
Learning his tendencies will be important for the Packers to operate at maximum efficiency. Also, almost all of his skill position players are as inexperienced as he is.
There is a chance that the Packers are starting wide receivers Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed, and tight end Luke Musgrave in Week 1. Watson and Doubs are both entering year 2 of their careers while Reed and Musgrave were selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Getting as many reps and live snaps as possible during the offseason, training camp and preseason will make things much easier during the regular season. There will be hiccups along the way, but the time put in during practice and exhibitions will make those hiccups go away much faster.
