Packers 2021 offseason position review: Quarterbacks

The Green Bay Packers‘ quarterback room was at the center of the NFL offseason after the team traded up for Aaron Rodgers‘ possible replacement.

How would Rodgers react to the news? Would he mentor Jordan Love? Many, many articles were written and the speculation continued throughout the summer.

But once the season started, the Packers let the football do the talking. Rodgers played every game while Love was inactive each week. That was the plan going in and it went smoothly for the Packers.

Was this Rodgers’ greatest season? And what’s next?

2020 season review

M-V-P.

Rodgers’ 2020 season was possibly the greatest in franchise history and one of the best the NFL has seen. His 48 touchdown passes set a new Packers single-season record and ties him with Dan Marino for fifth in NFL history. He achieved this while being intercepted only five times.

When we include Rodgers’ postseason numbers, his totals are 53 touchdowns and six interceptions in 18 games.

What made it an even better season for the Packers is that Rodgers didn’t miss a game. Not only that, he didn’t appear on the injury report once, and was sacked just 20 times, a career-low. And that includes the two years he missed around half of due to a broken collarbone.

Tim Boyle wasn’t needed other than to kneel out a few victories, although a stat he won’t like reading is that he was sacked more times (one) than he attempted passes (zero).

Love, meanwhile, got to sit on the bench and learn from one of the all-time greats.

The Packers couldn’t have asked for a much better season at the quarterback position.

What’s next in 2021?

Brian Gutekunst quickly squashed the talk of Rodgers being traded, and we’ve heard similar from Matt LaFleur and Mark Murphy.

All signs point, then, to Rodgers remaining under center in 2021. It’s without a doubt the right decision. Trading Rodgers would not only create some cap issues, but it would also cut Green Bay’s Super Bowl window shorter than necessary unless Love is ready for a Patrick Mahomes-level second season.

Don’t expect this conversation to go anywhere, though.

Assuming Rodgers is indeed the starter entering 2021, as expected, perhaps the biggest storyline will turn to Love’s development. How will he have improved entering year two and what kind of impact will he make in the preseason?

One key sign will be whether the Packers have the confidence to promote him to the backup spot ahead of Tim Boyle. If Boyle is still the preferred option, there will perhaps be some concern about Love’s development.

There will be plenty to talk about between now and the start of the regular season in September, that’s for sure.