Jordan Love's status among NFL quarterbacks is up in the air, but history suggests he will make a huge leap in 2025. About halfway through the 2023 NFL season, things were not looking all that great for Love and the Green Bay Packers.
But ever since then, the former first-round pick really took off and cemented himself as a franchise QB in the NFL. However, it does feel like there is another level that Love can reach, and while many Packers fans were hoping for it in 2024, it didn't feel like we saw it.
Well, I did some digging and found some encouraging news about why Love could make a leap in year three, as many other QBs did the same in their third year as a starter in the NFL.
History indicates that Year 3 is when QBs make a massive leap
Yes, Love entered the NFL back in 2020, but he is slated to enter his third year as a full-time starter this season, which is significant. The Packers, as a whole, could also become a contending team if Love took that next step into elite status.
There are some recent QBs and even some from a while ago who saw a huge uptick in production in their third year. This is not an exhaustive list, but I found a wide range of passers who saw the production really take a step forward in the pivotal year three.
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In year three, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals saw his completion percentage and passer rating jump, having gone from a 94.3 rating in year two to a 100.6 rating in year three. Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, from year two into year three, threw for almost 1,500 more yards, increased his completion percentage by over 10 points, threw for 17 more touchdowns, and saw his passer rating go from 85.3 to 107.2.
But we're not done yet! I even went back to Peyton Manning. In year three, Manning threw for nearly 300 more yards, seven more touchdowns, and increased his passer rating by four points from 90.7 to 94.7.
The recently retired Derek Carr threw for seven fewer interceptions and saw his passer rating jump by over five points from year two into year three. And the final example, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, saw his passer rating rise from 90.1 to 105.5 from year two into year three, throwing for nine more touchdowns and two fewer interceptions.
I truly tried to find substantive examples here, and while QB growth is not always linear, there is concrete evidence that QBs can make a huge leap in their third year as a starter in the NFL. If Jordan Love experiences this same type of ascension, the Packers could compete for the NFC North and perhaps even make a deep playoff run.