Matt LaFleur playing with fire after latest Jordan Love injury update
By Ryan Heckman
It has been almost a week since we saw Jordan Love go down with an MCL injury in the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In a competitive and exciting opener for the Packers, the night ended with a thud when Love suffered his knee injury.
Just hours later, head coach Matt LaFleur seemed convinced the injury wasn't all that bad. In fact, it initially appeared like Love avoided serious injury, which was a positive.
Then, after going through all of the tests, Love was diagnosed with an MCL sprain. That's about as good as it could get for an immediate injury update and prognosis. Love did indeed avoid something a whole lot more serious.
Now, the original thought this week was that Love would be out a few weeks. Some thought anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on his recovery. But, LaFleur seems to be taking things day by day even leading up to their Week 2 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
Fast forward to present day, and Love sat out practice once again Thursday. That has to mean Green Bay isn't going to leave the door open for Love to play this Sunday ... right?
Wrong.
LaFleur spoke to the media Thursday and wouldn't close the door on Love playing in Week 2:
"He's going to do everything he can to be out there. We'll give him the week," said the head coach.
Hold up ... Love is going to do "everything he can" to be out there against the Colts? And, as the head coach, LaFleur is just fine allowing this to happen?
Coach, it's Week 2. It's a long season. You have got to be kidding yourself.
Matt LaFleur is fooling himself in regards to Jordan Love's latest injury update
Either LaFleur is in another universe, right now, or he is playing the "coach speak" card, grasping at straws in effort to try and keep the Colts on their toes.
In reality, the Colts know it's going to be Malik Willis under center on Sunday afternoon. There is absolutely no question about it.
The craziest part about all of this is if we get to Friday afternoon and Love still doesn't practice, yet LaFleur doesn't completely rule him out and lists Love as either "questionable" or "doubtful." At this point, he's trying to do too much if it came to that.
There is no world where a franchise quarterback, fresh off a four-year, $220 million contract, should be playing just nine days after suffering an MCL sprain, and in Week 2, for that matter. It does not make any sense to play Love, no matter what, this weekend.
It doesn't even make sense for LaFleur to be playing these games with fans and the media. And, he has been doing it all week long:
"I’d say it is more day-to-day than anything," said LaFleur.
Come on, coach ... stop messing around. This is not a day-to-day injury. Every NFL insider or expert is going to tell you this is a multiple-week recovery.
It should be Willis under center for at least Week 2, if not the next game or two.
Let's not forget, this is the same team which started last season 2-5 and wound up making the playoffs behind this very same quarterback. LaFleur cannot afford to play with fire as he's doing, right now.
And, if it isn't "playing with fire," it's simply a poor job of his version of "coach speak" and "gamesmanship."
Just come out and say it. Love isn't playing Week 2.