Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is starting to look like Brett Favre, for better or worse. While he maintains Favre's rocket arm and willingness to challenge defenses down the field, he is also developing a serious problem with ball security in his second full season as the Packers starter.
Fresh off the Aaron Rodgers era, where the team would throw one interception every three games, Love is making his bonehead turnovers a near-weekly occurrence. Despite missing two games due to an injury, Love is leading the NFL in interceptions with 11. Love's latest mistake was a pick against the Chicago Bears that nearly came back to severely haunt Green Bay.
Love became the first Packers player since Irv Comp (a Packers Hall of Famer with 34 career defensive interceptions) in 1944 to throw at least one interception in each of his first eight games of a season. Love became the first player on any NFL team to do this since Case Keenum during his lone season with the Broncos in 2018.
If Love keeps this up, he may end up challenging Favre's consecutive turnover mark, as No. 4 managed to throw at least one interception in 12 straight games between 2005 and 2006.
Jordan Love infamously ties 80-year-old Packers interception record
Love threw 11 interceptions last season, but 10 of them came in his first nine games. Even if you're bullish on Love's future, the second half of 2023, in which he tossed 21 TDs and just one interception, is not a realistic barometer to set for his play.
After dominating during his sophomore year at Utah State, Love threw 17 interceptions as a junior. The Packers are seemingly OK with Love's designation as a bit of a turnover machine, but his problem may be a bit more pronounced than they would like to see.
The Packers shouldn't necessarily coach this out of him. Love is like an aggressive heavyweight boxer. You don't want to declaw him and take away his haymaker by forcing him to play defensively. His high-end arm talent is what makes this Packers offense click and sets them apart from their rivals.
However, for Love to take the step from good to great, which he needs to do now that he is being paid like one of the top quarterbacks in the league, he needs to cut down on the picks. Love is on pace to throw 23 interceptions in a full 17-game season, which is not a recipe for success.