Ian Rapoport's concerning Jordan Love injury update could doom Packers' season

Despite Matt LaFleur's best efforts to leave the door open, nobody is buying that Jordan Love will start in Week 2.

However, many reports have indicated that the Green Bay Packers' star quarterback may not miss too long. ESPN's Adam Schefter even circled the Week 4 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings as a potential return date.

Are we building our hopes too high? Can Love really return from a sprained MCL within two or three weeks? Any longer, and the Packers' playoff hopes could fade.

But the Packers' medical team won't make a decision based on playoff standings, but rather on Love's health. And an update from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport may have thrown cold water on the hopes of a quick return.

Ian Rapoport indicates Jordan Love could miss 'several' weeks

Rapoport told NFL Network that he expects Malik Willis to start in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. That's fine. That prediction is hardly out of left field. But it's the wording he followed it with that has Packers fans concerned.

"Matt LaFleur is doing what a lot of coaches do, which is keeping the door open for an injured player who obviously wants to play, knowing that it is almost certainly not going to happen," said Rapoport. "The anticipation is that Malik Willis will be the starter this week, and probably for the next several weeks."

Wait, what? He said several weeks?

OK, "several" isn't an exact number. It's time we pulled up the Collins Dictionary. Here's its official definition: "Several is used to refer to an imprecise number of people or things that is not large but is greater than two."

Admittedly, it doesn't sound quite as scary after reading the definition, but it's still concerning. "Not large but is greater than two?"

If Love misses more than two games, the Packers' season could be in danger. Willis would lead the team into games against the Colts, Tennessee Titans, and Minnesota Vikings, with a real possibility of beginning the season 0-4. Following that, Green Bay travels for a road matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

LaFleur called Love's injury "day-to-day." It's a classic coach phrase that doesn't mean a whole lot, but it's better than week-to-week. The Packers hope it's a one- or two-game absence, at most, unless Willis can lead the team to a surprise win.

If Rapoport is right and Love misses several weeks, the Packers are in real trouble.

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