The Green Bay Packers kick off the preseason by hosting the New York Jets on Saturday evening, and Matt LaFleur has raised the stakes.
LaFleur spoke to the media on Thursday, and after addressing some of the injuries to the squad, most notably offensive lineman Travis Glover, he revealed that the starters will play some part of the preseason opener.
He initially didn't give a definitive answer, indicating that they should be ready to play without saying they would. Then, another question prompted an answer LaFleur could regret.
Packers playing Jordan Love and the starters in the preseason is a major gamble
After being non-committal with his first answer, LaFleur revealed that he plans for all four quarterbacks, including Jordan Love, to receive "meaningful reps." Although he didn't say how many snaps Love and the other starters will play, the fact that they are playing at all may raise red flags.
"According to our medical people, our sports performance people, if you get X amount of reps or whatever, you're however many times less likely to get injured within the first four or five weeks of the season," said LaFleur.
Injuries are part of the game. While they can happen at any moment, it is seemingly even more devastating when they occur in a game that does not count. Just the thought of preseason injuries brings immediate flashbacks to Jordy Nelson tearing his ACL in an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The last thing the Packers need is Love, who has shown breakout potential at camp, to suffer an injury in a game that doesn't impact the standings.
Coach LaFleur cited a study indicating some preseason game reps reduce the injury risk in the early portions of the regular season. Being acclimated to game speed may make players more sure in their footing and more confident in their abilities.
Still, with players like Xavier McKinney, Jayden Reed, and Elgton Jenkins not practicing on Thursday, and Dontayvion Wicks, Nate Hobbs, MarShawn Lloyd, and Rasheed Walker already out, critics and skeptics can very easily doubt LaFleur. Why risk injuries to a team that has such high potential? The NFC North is as open as it has been in the last few years.
Ultimately, time will be the biggest judge on whether or not this is the right call. If a key player suffers an injury, especially if it's Love, the coaching staff will be criticized for putting players in a meaningless game.
If they don't sit out the preseason but make a slow start in September, then critics will say they should have "shaken the rust out" and played. With just a 17-game schedule, every player and every game matter. Danged if you do, danged if you don't.
Whether the decision is right or wrong, LaFleur is undoubtedly rolling the dice.