Adam Schefter identifies the game Jordan Love could return from injury
As the cameras cut back to Jordan Love in pain on the controversial Corinthians Arena turf, Green Bay Packers fans feared the worst.
Stomach-turning replays of Love's knee "popping" only increased the doubt that he would play again this season. Fortunately, the Packers' $220 million quarterback avoided the worst-case scenario, suffering a sprained MCL that should only sideline him for a few games.
The Packers' immediate problem is figuring out how to win games without their star quarterback. For the first time since Matt LaFleur became head coach, Green Bay's starting quarterback won't be Love or Aaron Rodgers. Malik Willis only arrived two weeks ago, giving LaFleur the daunting challenge of developing a game plan for a quarterback still learning the system.
Green Bay needs Love back as soon as possible. While early reports suggested he could miss anywhere from three to six weeks, ESPN's Adam Schefter provided a slightly more optimistic outlook.
Adam Schefter believes Jordan Love could return for Packers vs. Vikings in Week 4
Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday. While he wasn't reporting anything as fact, he believes Love could return for the Packers' game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4.
"If you look at the schedule, in three or four weeks, they play the Vikings at home," said Schefter. "We'll see how he recovers here, but that would be a logical timeline and a logical spot for him to try to come back."
This would be the best-case scenario, as Love would only miss two games—home against the Indianapolis Colts and on the road versus the Tennessee Titans. Even if the Packers lost both and fell to 0-3, they would have enough time with a healthy Love to get the season back on track.
In the meantime, it's the Malik Willis Show. Schefter doesn't believe the Packers will make a move for veteran Ryan Tannehill despite some conflicting reports.
It's up to Willis or Sean Clifford to guide the Packers to a win or two in Love's absence. Neither has much regular-season experience. Willis started three games for the Titans in 2022, completing just 50.8 percent of his passes for 276 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. Clifford has thrown one regular-season pass.
Realistically, the best-case scenario is Love returning in Week 4 with Green Bay at 1-2, but even that feels like a long shot at this point.