Jordan Love could've put on a cape and thrown with the precision of a Batarang, and he still wouldn't get the respect he deserves.
Love became the Green Bay Packers' real-life superhero at AT&T Stadium, saving his team from the jaws of defeat on multiple occasions. Everything he touched turned to green and gold. Yet many look beyond his performance, focus on the Packers' inability to finish off the Dallas Cowboys, and make bold declarations about how Love isn't the guy.
Oh yes he is. And the numbers back it up. While the league isn't yet ready to admit the truth about Love, he has become undeniable. Love just sent a clear warning to the rest of the league.
Jordan Love is quietly arriving as the Packers' next superstar quarterback
Many deserve the blame for Green Bay's performance on Sunday Night Football. Anybody but Love.
Love completed 31 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns for a 118.1 rating. Beyond the box score, he delivered clutch moments to bail out his team repeatedly.
Dallas took the lead with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Love responded with a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs to cap off a 10-play drive. The Cowboys restored their lead with only 43 seconds left. Love fired back to set up a game-tying field goal.
When the green and gold sea parted for the Cowboys' offense again, Love stepped up and marched his team back down the field in overtime. With the game on the line, Love fired a beauty to Matthew Golden on fourth down. Moments later, the Packers were in field-goal range and in striking distance of victory.
Matt LaFleur's play-not-to-lose mentality derailed the Packers' momentum, resulting in a tie, but Love did all he could to save his team from a defensive disaster.
Through four weeks, Love has completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 1,000 yards, eight touchdowns, and one pick for a 113.0 rating. That's MVP territory.
Love is No. 5 in the NFL for passing yards, tied for No. 3 in passing touchdowns, and tied for No. 2 in passer rating. He is Pro Football Focus' fifth-ranked quarterback. And that's standing behind a makeshift offensive line.
Perhaps it's because he is held to the all-world levels of Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre that he still gets disrespected. That's not fair to Love. He's his own quarterback.
But, sure, we can play that game, too.
Since taking over as Green Bay's QB1 in 2023, Love has started 36 games and completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 8,548 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions, for a 98.1 rating. The Packers are 20-15-1.
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Let's take Rodgers' first 36 starts as the Packers' QB1, beginning in 2008. He completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 9,412 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions, for a 98.3 rating. The Packers went 20-16.
How about Favre? In his first 36 starts, Favre completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 7,849 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 43 interceptions, for a 78. 3 rating. The Packers went 20-16.
Love has far better numbers than Favre, and he's right there in line with Rodgers. And Love has played in the league's youngest team for three straight years.
The breakout is here. Love is marrying his willingness to dare with sensible, smart decisions. He knows when to take a shot and risk it all, but also when to throw the ball away. The recklessness has disappeared, highlighted by his past 11 regular-season games.
Since Week 12 of last season, Love has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 2,308 yards, 17 touchdowns, and one pick.
For the second time in his career, Love turned AT&T Stadium into his stage, a launching pad to show the world that he has arrived.
Nobody is willing to admit it yet, but Love is soaring to stardom before our eyes.