Hall of Fame quarterback sees a lot of himself in Packers' Jordan Love

The day before the NFL season kicks off is kind of like a fever dream. There's just an unlimited amount of energy, enthusiasm, and stimulation overload. Honestly it's kind of overwhelming – you really have to pick your spots when it comes to digesting football excitement this week, unless you're a sicko who can handle it all. I certainly can't, but if you can, good for you.

If you're like me and looking for a good spot to pick, may I suggest this lovely profile on Packers' QB Jordan Love? Love got a shiny, 5k word write up in The Athletic, mostly about how patient he was and how the source – who's definitely not Aaron Rodgers – swears by how good of a teammate Aaron Rodgers is. As far as preseason profiles are concerned, this one hits all the standard notes.

There is one moment, however, that will scratch every Packers season itch you may still have. Maybe I'm overstating how exciting this quote is, but also I'm definitely not.

Jordan Love reminds Peyton Manning of Peyton Manning and I totally agree

"That didn't break him," Manning said. "That didn't put him in a hole or in a shell and it goes back to my rookie year. I mean, I threw 28 interceptions. We only won three games and look, it was bad. It was no fun. It's the kind of season that can kinda break you … the next year, we went 13-3 and I had a good season, so I kinda used that season to learn what I could do and what I can't do and I think Jordan used the early part of the season to kind of learn to figure some things out and he continued to get better and to me, that's a great quality."

That is a great quality. For those who may be confused (I know you're not, but others might be!) this is in reference to one of Love's first games with the Packers, an underwhelming loss against the Chiefs where he had to start on short notice because starting QB Aaron Rodgers – who is a very good teammate and leader, actually – tested positive for Covid.

Love bounced back to put together a good first season as starter, and if their careers are now as irreversibly intertwined as this one milqutoast quote implies, he's now going to casually become one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. After that he'll successfully pivot into media and become a business mogul as well. How's that for a little preseason optimism?!

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