There’s no need to emphasize how much of an impact that Aaron Rodgers not being in the Green Bay Packers’ locker room this season will make.
But his replacement, Jordan Love, is going to try to mitigate that as best he can on and off the field.
Rodgers’ track record earned him massive amounts of respect from his team and across the NFL. When he stepped on the field to conduct an offense, his teammates around him understood that it was time to give their all, and defenses felt the same way, knowing it was going to be hard to stop him.
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Now, the Packers are expecting Love to step in and be exactly like Rodgers, but he will need to command a huddle, lead through adversity and do everything that comes with playing the hardest position in the sport.
The Packers’ front office is trusting that spending three years under Rodgers’ wing has made Love ready for this moment. After all, they did the same with Rodgers before Brett Favre ended up in a New York Jets uniform as well.
"It’s exciting," Love said to reporters on Wednesday via Pro Football Talk. "I think there’s a lot of energy around it for myself. I think I can step up and be a little more vocal knowing that I’m the guy, not being the backup."
PACKERS' MATT LAFLEUR TEMPERING EXPECTATIONS FOR QB JORDAN LOVE WHEN HE TAKES OVER FOR AARON RODGERS
Love believes he has "improved drastically" since joining the Packers and working with Rodgers every day at practice. Even Rodgers gave his praise of Love’s work ethic and believes he took a big step last season.
While he only got time in four games, Love was 14 of 21 with one touchdown and 195 yards passing, showing off a strong arm and poise in the pocket.
He has just one start under his belt, though, as it came in 2021 against the Kansas City Chiefs with Rodgers out. He was 19 of 34 with one touchdown and one interception in the 13-7 loss.
The Utah State product will have more than enough opportunities to show he can win as a starter in the NFL, and he’s saying all the right things while leading into training camp, proving he’s ready to take the next step in his young career.
It’s certainly some big shoes to fill.
