Why Packers fans should believe in Jordan Love this season

When it comes to teams that are overlooked heading into the 2023 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers make that shortlist.

There are plenty of reasons why the Packers should be overlooked, but there is one reason why they should not be, according to Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon.

For the Packers' entry on this list, Gagnon notes that new starting quarterback Jordan Love has "complete command" of the offense.

Gagnon wrote: "That's straight from head coach Matt LaFleur. A fresh start post-Aaron Rodgers could be what the doctor ordered for a Packers team that may have been burdened by Rodgers' drama in recent years. At least there's an element of unknown now."

Moving on from Aaron Rodgers has garnered most, if not all the headlines for the Packers this off-season. The element of unknown that Gagnon mentions has been the focus of the immediate future of the franchise.

This is not foreign territory for the Packers franchise, having gone down this exact same road previously when Rodgers took over for Brett Favre.

Jordan Love makes encouraging start to Packers preseason

Making his preseason debut as Green Bay's starting quarterback, Love completed seven of 10 passes for 46 yards and one touchdown. Love played just two series in the game before giving way to Sean Clifford. The first drive stalled after just five plays, resulting in a punt.

The second series was much better, as it ended with putting six points on the board. Love completed five of six pass attempts for 32 yards, ending with a nine-yard touchdown pass to second-year wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

While this is just a preseason game and the results do not matter here, going out on a good note with a touchdown drive is an encouraging sign moving forward.

LaFleur would say the following about Love on Monday: "I think what we've seen is, he's taken ownership of it. That's obviously really tough to do when you're the backup."

Love being able to take complete ownership of the offense is a massive step forward for a player as inexperienced as he is. There will be some bumps in the road as the season progresses but it seems like the learning curve for Love may not be as steep as initially expected.

More Packers news and analysis