Progress isn't always linear. There was always a possibility that after Jordan Love's scorching hot playoff run a year ago, his second season as the Green Bay Packers' starter wouldn't go as seamlessly as many expected.
Love didn't regress, but he faced far more obstacles in his second season. He had to overcome countless injuries, struggled with interceptions early in the year, and then corrected that but lacked the consistent explosive plays.
Through it all, the Packers still won 11 games and punched their ticket to the postseason. Love showed he has face-of-the-franchise talent and again proved he is the team's long-term answer, but he didn't take the step forward we hoped to see.
Part of that is on him. Love admitted he must correct his footwork to elevate his game to the next level, but he also faced adversity that was out of his control. Frustrating injuries played a significant part in preventing Love from playing his best football throughout the season, and he opened up about it on a recent episode of Up & Adams.
Jordan Love reveals details of the injury battles he faced in second season as Packers starter
Host Kay Adams asked Love about his injury challenges, beginning with the sprained MCL he suffered in the Packers' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. While Love played it down during the year, it never seemed like he quite reached 100 percent.
"Week 1, MCL. That was the big one that I was battling. Missed two games with it, came back, came back early," said Love. "It was a tough injury. It limits you a little bit in what you can do mobility-wise. A couple weeks after that, I end up straining my groin because of the knee."
"It's tough. You're not 100 percent, but we all know no one's ever 100 percent in the NFL."
It's not surprising to hear Love say that. In 2018, Aaron Rodgers suffered a knee injury in the Packers' Week 1 game. Rodgers later revealed that he had a tibial plateau fracture and a sprained MCL. Rodgers had a more significant injury, but Love's sprained MCL limited him early in the season.
As he revealed on Up & Adams, it also led to the groin injury that took him out of the Week 8 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and basically ended any hopes of the Packers beating the Detroit Lions a week later. Love played against Detroit but could barely move.
Love's mobility improved later in the season once the knee and groin injuries were finally behind him, but he then hurt his elbow one week before the playoffs.
Injuries happen, but Love dealt with several this season. He managed to battle through and help the Packers reach the playoffs, but it's unsurprising to hear how much they impacted his game. He still didn't want to use it as an excuse, but it's fair to assume a fully healthy Love can take a big step forward in 2025.