The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles kicked off their 2024 NFL regular season Friday night, September 6, in São Paulo, Brazil. With just seconds left on the clock, Packers franchise quarterback Jordan Love appeared to suffer an injury and needed help to get to the sideline.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Love is expected to be out for “some time.” Schefter said on X on Saturday, September 7, “Sources: Packers QB Jordan Love is believed to have injured his MCL, pending further testing. It is not expected to be a season-ending injury, but he is expected to miss some time.”
Earlier on Saturday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini stated on X, “I’m told an ankle injury has been ruled out at this point. Right now, it’s just wait-and-see for more information on the injury.” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network also stated that “initial tests” indicate Love’s “ACL is intact,” but that “there’s a wide range of outcomes based on additional scans, which will occur when the team gets back to Green Bay later today.”
Without Love, the Packers have backup quarterback Malik Willis, who came from the Tennessee Titans via a trade. They also have Sean Clifford on the practice squad. But, Green Bay could want to sign a veteran quarterback for some help, and one former Detroit Lions quarterback’s name has been floated as one of the team’s “options.”
Nate Sudfeld Named One of the Packers’ QB ‘Options’ by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky
Rob Demovsky of ESPN discussed the Packers’ quarterback “options” in a new feature. In the piece, published September 7, he named a former Detroit Lions quarterback as one of the few veterans available in the NFL.
“The out-of-work veteran NFL quarterback list now includes Ryan Tannehill, Trevor Siemian, Kellen Mond, Nate Sudfeld, C.J. Beathard and PJ Walker,” he wrote.
Sudfeld, of course, is the former Detroit quarterback on the tally. The Lions released Sudfeld in late August, as first reported Rapoport.
Sudfeld played with the Lions in two games during the 2022 season. He was active in the preseason this year and started in the Lions’ first two preseason games. During those preseason appearances, Sudfeld went 27-of-51 for 292 yards, scored a touchdown and had two interceptions. He didn’t appear in the preseason finale, and Lions backup quarterback Hendon Hooker played instead.
Before joining the Lions, Sudfeld played with the San Francisco 49ers and was juggled between the team’s active roster and practice squad during the 2021 season. He has also played with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington.
Packers Could Turn to Ryan Tannehill
Not everyone has Sudfeld on their radar. In a September 7 feature for FanSided’s Lombardi Ave., writer Mike Luciano named former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill his No. 1 pick to fill in for Love.
Tannehill’s stats include nearly 35,000 passing yards, 216 TDs and 115 INTS in 155 games and 151 starts, via Pro Football Reference.
“If the injury to Love is serious enough to sideline him for a big chunk of games, the Packers may need to sign the best veteran quarterback out there,” Luciano stated. “While Tannehill is fresh off a rough season to close out a productive Titans tenure, he still has a bit of juice left in his tank.”
He added, “With a deep ball that can still get the job done and enough mobility to make up for an offensive line that is still very much a work in progress, Tannehill could come into this situation and still deliver the ball to Green Bay’s growing stockpile (of) promising young receivers. If Tannehill wants one last crack as a starter, he won’t get a better shot than this.”
Ben Rolfe of the Pro Football Network also named Tannehill a top option. “When you look at free agent options, the pickings are fairly slim. In terms of experience leading a team, Ryan Tannehill is by far the best option available,” he said in a September 7 article.
