Green Bay finished third in the NFC North last season and went one-and-done in the postseason, leading some to question whether quarterback Jordan Love has what it takes to lead the Packers over the hump.
Last week, coach Matt LaFleur rejected the notion that Love regressed from Year 1 to Year 2 as the full-time starter.
LaFleur cited Love missing two full games early in the season and sitting out portions of two others as a reason the stats might not have been as good.
"I think there's like a narrative out there for whatever reason that he wasn't as productive as the year before," LaFleur said, via The Athletic. "Well, he missed significant time. He missed the better of three games. Really, it was Indy. It was Tennessee. He went out in Jacksonville and then he went out in Chicago. So, you know, three games is a significant amount of time and you're not going to produce as much from a numbers perspective ... and also, let's be honest -- we've talked about this -- we did have a lot of drops last year.
"So there's other circumstances that play into it. I think all in all, everybody's going to be better, though."
Love finished with 3,389 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing 63.1% of his passes for 8.0 yards per attempt in 15 games during 2024. In 2023, he put up 4,159 yards, 32 TDs and 11 INTs, completing 64.2% of his passes for 7.1 YPA in 17 games. ESPN's QBR would back up the notion that Love's counting stats don't tell a whole story, as he earned a 69.3 QBR in 2024 and a 62.9 in 2023.
Drops, as LaFleur points out, also played a role. The Packers dropped 26 of Love's 458 passes, per Pro Football Focus. The 8.3 drop rate was the second-most among players with at least 400 dropbacks -- behind Aaron Rodgers' 9.6.
Like his coach, Love rebutted the perception that he regressed in 2024.
"I mean, what is a step back is what I'd ask?" Love said. "You know what I mean? Everybody has different opinions, things like that. You gotta block that stuff out. It's all about the goals of the team at the end of the day. I'd say we won more games than we did the year before. That's why I ask people, what is a step back?
"Like I said, everybody has opinions, things like that. Try to block that out and focus on doing me and being the best player I can be, like I've talked about, and go forward. But at the end of the day, personal stats, things like that, that's all in the back. You gotta focus on the goals of the team, first and foremost."
The heat on the Packers QB is always going to be ratcheted up. Love replaced Rodgers, a four-time MVP who won a Super Bowl in his third year as a starter. That comes with added pressure to be perfect out of the gate. The offseason additions of first-rounder Matthew Golden and an improved offensive line put Love in a position to silence those questions and doubters in 2025.
