Packers star Rashan Gary goes to bat for Jordan Love

It was as I sat down to write this piece that Jordan Love was trending. Now, as a writer who covers the Green Bay Packers, I thought I knew what the hubbub was about.

After all, Packers fans have been questioning the choice to go with Jordan Love as starting QB for the upcoming season after the loss of Aaron Rodgers, and the chorus was loud and clear this morning, as I sat down to write this piece.

And trust me; I more than understand the concern. As I stated last time, the young Mr. Love certainly has some mighty large shoes to fill.

By now the above statement has been rendered cliche, but what can I say, it's true, and thus, speculation over whether he can fill those shoes is a major concern among fans.

But the question remains: Is everyone just panicking a tad too early?

That's a good question, but at the same time a few facts do back up all that worry and speculation unfortunately.

For instance: Despite the fact that he has been with the Packers since 2020, his first NFL team since his college days, we haven't seen very much from him…10 appearances.

But in those 10 appearances he has secured three touchdowns, and nabbed for himself an over 60% pass completion in the process.

Not too bad, some would say, but these days, perhaps a little more is required to convince the masses.

What does Jordan Love have going for him despite concerns?

Well, in the end, he has worked closely with the man he is replacing, Aaron Rodgers, and that may definitely work in his favor. But according to teammate Rashan Gary (a Packer since 2019), he has something else going for him.

"Don't be nervous. He has the respect of his teammates, and he has everybody ready to go to war for him," said Gary on the Rich Eisen Show.

Even RB, Aaron Jones, had encouraging words a little while back concerning Rodgers' replacement:

"We all love Jordan here. He has everybody's full respect, and we're going to go lay it out on the line for him," said Jones.

As for Love, he seemed pretty optimistic a few weeks back while speaking to Sports Illustrated:

"I feel more hungry than ever," Love told Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated. "Honestly, having that time to wait, the waiting just makes (me) more and more hungry for when you finally get out there." 

He has also stated that he is still in contact with Aaron Rodgers and said that the latter told him he could call on him anytime he needed him, which for Rodgers fans, is definitely a promising thing.

But in the end, perhaps this is more of an "I'll believe it when I see it" kind of deal, and the speculation is likely to grow considerably until the Packers, with Love at the helm, hit the gridiron.

Time will tell…

How's that for yet another cliche for you, dear readers?

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