Jordan Love's rushing ability remains an underutilized part of his game, and one he needs to lean on more to unlock the next level of Matt LaFleur's offense.
Malik Willis isn't as talented a passer as Love, but he's one of the league's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. His presence on the field alone opened up the Packers' rushing attack, as defenses were terrified that he would take off and run. Love doesn't share the same rushing ability, but he can extend plays, and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur hopes to see more of it in 2026.
We're not talking about designed runs – LaFleur rarely dials them up for Love. It's about the awareness to punish defenses that leave rushing lanes wide open on broken plays.
"There's no defense for when the play goes off script. I would say every situation is a little bit different," LaFleur said, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "If we call a play, and there was an incidence where we call a play, they're playing two man, and it's the worst play in the world for playing two man, please, please use your legs to try to make a bad play and try to make it good."
Jordan Love can learn from Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes on broken plays
LaFleur called it an "area of emphasis" not just for Love, but the entire offense to improve on broken plays.
That means receivers working back to the quarterback, the kind of chemistry Aaron Rodgers had with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb when a play would go off-script. If Rodgers rolled to his right, his receivers would head in that direction and try to find any opening for their quarterback.
Rodgers was also the master of using his legs to pick up yards in negative situations. Quarterbacks don't need to be able to run like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen -- Patrick Mahomes is proof of that. Mahomes isn't the fastest or the most athletic quarterback in the NFL, but he knows when to escape the pocket and take off.
Love can do the same. We just need to see more of it.
It's nothing new for Love. LaFleur said last August, "When the opportunity presents itself, you've got to use your legs."
Love later said it had "definitely been a big emphasis for me."
There were moments where we saw it. In the opening three games of the regular season, Love rushed 10 times for 34 yards, showing more willingness to take off when necessary. But it never became a big enough part of his game.
Take Mahomes as an example. He averages 3.9 rushing attempts per game in his career. Love averages just 2.6 in his 47 career starts.
Love doesn't need to run at every opportunity, but when teams play two-high safeties (the Packers saw this a lot in 2025) or line up in man coverage, chances will present themselves.
There was a perfect example in the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. The Packers couldn't get anything going on offense in the second half. In desperate need of momentum, despite leading 21-6 in the third quarter, Love missed an opportunity to run. Facing a 3rd-and-2, the play broke down. Love briefly had an open lane in front of him, giving him a chance to potentially pick up the yards with his legs.
However, he didn't see it in time and instead threw the ball out of bounds, and the Packers punted.
That's the moment where Mahomes or Rodgers would take off, extend the play with their legs, and infuriate defenses.
It's a small tweak. We all know how good Love is as a passer. But if he can take advantage of the opportunities to scramble, especially in the biggest moments, he can take his game to even greater heights.