Head coach Matt LaFleur revealed that Jordan Love will officially receive the questionable tag on the Green Bay Packers' final injury report for Week 9.
It's an unsurprising development after Love logged consecutive limited practice sessions on Thursday and Friday. It seems evident that he isn't 100 percent but has a shot to play. As always, LaFleur kept his cards close to his chest and didn't want to reveal any more information than he had to.
It forces the Detroit Lions to game plan for both Love and Malik Willis and the different problems each quarterback presents. That said, even if Love is able to go, the Packers may need to take as much pressure off him as possible by committing to the run game, which is also the approach they would take with Willis.
Earlier in the week, Love said it was "realistic" that he could play.
Love's back-to-back practices seem to indicate he has a good shot at suiting up on Sunday, but the Packers will keep everyone waiting.
Packers list Jordan Love as questionable on final injury report for Week 9
Clearly, the Packers would prefer Love to be fully healthy and ready to go, but the advantage of the questionable tag is it keeps the Lions guessing. It's a similar story to earlier in the season before the Packers played the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. LaFleur kept his status hidden for as long as possible.
We'll find out in time whether Love will play, but the real question is whether he should play. It's unlikely he will have fully recovered from the groin injury that forced him out of last week's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.Are the Packers taking too big of a risk?
Unlike when Love returned from a sprained MCL, the risk of aggravating this injury is real. With a brace on, he was unlikely to do further damage to his knee, and once the Packers felt confident in his mobility, Love returned. Soft-tissue injuries present a different challenge. The last thing Green Bay needs is for Love to suffer a setback against the Lions that causes an extended absence.
The Packers typically have a conservative medical staff, so we have to trust their decision that Love won't be at greater risk of re-injury should he play.
Having Love out there would undoubtedly help the Packers' chances of picking up their biggest win of the season. For now, we wait.
