In a draft class that had three top 10 quarterbacks, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts were almost afterthoughts. Love was picked in the end of the first round by the Green Bay Packers, and Hurts was a second round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Taken at first to be backups and developmental players, they have since established themselves as top starters — which includes big contracts.
On Friday, Love and Hurts will lead the Packers and the Eagles in the first NFL game in the history of Brazil. And ahead of the matchup in São Paulo, Love talked about his position mate.
"I've been around him a couple times," Love said. "I think he's a phenomenal player. I love the way he carries himself, I love his demeanor about the game".
Hurts' attitude on the field and his approach to the game are some of the things Jordan Love mentioned when asked about how the Eagles' quarterback could inspire him.
"He's just a dog," Love added. "He's one of those quarterbacks, he's gonna scramble and he's not gonna slide. He's gonna take some hits. And he's a bigger guy. He has that mindset, he's a very competitive player, the way he is as a leader. It's been that way since he started in his rookie year. I love to watch him play."
Situations
While the Packers planned a transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts handled a different situation in Philadelphia. When the Eagles took him, they had just given Carson Wentz a contract extension.
But Wentz regressed, and Hurts had a chance to start four games as a rookie. He became a full-time starter in 2021, his second season in the NFL.
Even though Hurts had a strong season in 2022, his career has had its ups and downs — his passer rating year by year is 77.6, 87.2, 101.5, and 89.1, even though he also adds value as a runner.
Packers defense
An intriguing element of the game in Brazil is how the Packers defense will operate to limit Hurts. It's the first game with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley calling the shots.
Presumably, Hafley has a track record (both in college and in the NFL) of working with single high-heavy defenses, which seems to be a good fit against a running quarterback. However, defensive coaches from the same roots (Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans) have been more willing to adapt and call two-high coverages, which makes sense considering Hurts is an effective deep thrower.
