Biggest offseason move
When you have a future Hall of Fame quarterback on roster and draft another in the first round, it’s going to cause ripples. The Packers’ decision to draft Utah State’s Love, trading up four spots in the first round to select him with the 26th overall pick, wasn’t just their biggest move this offseason. It was perhaps the biggest move of the
NFL offseason, regardless of team. Love is now Rodgers’ heir apparent, potentially starting the clock on the two-time MVP’s tenure as the Packers starting quarterback. Whatever happens in the next two or three years, it’s going to be interesting.
Position battle
Love is a first-round pick. Boyle was undrafted two years ago after a college career in which he threw 12 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions. And yet it’s not at all a stretch to say there’s a genuine battle brewing to be Rodgers’ top backup. Given the restraints of this virtual-reality offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Packers might find it difficult for Love to be ready to take snaps early in the season, which he would need to be if given the role of No. 2 quarterback. Boyle, meanwhile, has had two full years in the system, and the Packers have been pleased with his arm talent. Boyle already beat out former second-round pick DeShone Kizer for the No. 2 job last year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Packers keep him on the roster this fall, but he’ll have to earn it.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows the expectation is that Jordan Love will eventually supplant him as the starter.
Keep an eye on
Rodgers said all the right things in his first comments with the media after the draft. He won’t treat Love any different than he has other backups, he said. He was surprised, yes, the Packers drafted a quarterback with their first pick, but he doesn’t hold any ill will against Love. Rodgers’ comments were much more welcoming than the way Brett Favre greeted him after the 2005 draft, and if it’s natural to question his sincerity, it’s also fair to give Rodgers the benefit of doubt. Still, actions speak louder than words, and how Rodgers handles having his potential successor in the same meeting room will be fascinating to watch. Coach Matt LaFleur said he anticipates Rodgers will be a great mentor for Love. Will he? Only time will tell.
Key question
If the biggest question for the Packers’ offense this fall is what it can accomplish in Year 2 with coach Matt LaFleur, it starts with the quarterback. Rodgers certainly wasn’t bad last season. He completed 62 percent of his passes for 4,002 yards, 26 touchdowns and only four interceptions, a 95.4 passer rating that left something to be desired (ranked 12th in the league), but was respectable given the first year in a new system. Still, there is clear room to grow, and if that is the same for every position on offense, it’s especially true for quarterback. The question is, how much of a leap will Rodgers take in his second season with LaFleur? There needs to be growth this fall.
Prediction
Rodgers won’t win his third MVP in 2020, but he’ll be a legitimate Pro Bowl quarterback. The declining mobility Rodgers showed in 2019 is real. He no longer floats on the field the way he did 10 years ago, when a 27-year-old Rodgers could lay claim to being one of the NFL’s elite athletes. But if there has been any decline in Rodgers’ golden right arm, it’s hard to tell. Rodgers can still make every throw, including many that other quarterbacks wouldn’t even dare. Throwing is still the most important job for any NFL quarterback, and Rodgers can fling it with the best of them. In his age-37 season, Rodgers will still be among the NFL’s best.