Heading into the Green Bay Packers' offseason, head coach Matt LaFleur had one specific goal on which he wanted his starting quarterback, Jordan Love, to focus. Of course, mechanics, football work, and all the other aspects of physically playing the game are important to fine-tune and improve upon in the offseason, but what LaFleur really wanted was to see Love start to become more vocal.
It is not that Love does not have the respect of his teammates. He does. Ever since he was named the starting quarterback ahead of the 2023 season, Packers players have been adamant about how much they love and respect him. And LaFleur was not asking him to earn more respect either; he was asking him to do what all great quarterbacks do: lead with words, not just actions.
Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love Is Ready to Be More Vocal
Packers insider Jason Wilde was present at OTAs last week and asked Love about being more vocal and what effects the quarterback believes will have on the team. In response, Love said:
“You’ve got to be yourself. You never want to be forcing things or sounding like a message isn’t coming from you, it’s coming from somebody else.
“I think the biggest thing is just having those hard conversations with guys when something needs to get done and it might not be getting done the right way; might not be handling business the right way. Not calling guys out, but just having those conversations with them on the side — that type of leadership. It’s just holding people accountable with everything they do.
“It’s definitely something I’ve put a lot of work in since I’ve been here, trying to step out of my comfort zone and speak up. I think the more comfortable you get with the guys, the easier that all becomes.”
As one can see, Love is focusing on having conversations with players on the sidelines as well as speaking up in team meetings. In doing so, he is not being confrontational, but calmly leading in his own way.
Which is a stark contrast to what his predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, would do.
During his time in Green Bay, as well as last season with the New York Jets, Rodgers was frequently seen yelling at players on the sidelines or even on the field. Even a young Davante Adams was not immune to a good Rodgers tongue-lashing.
And this is not to say that the way Rodgers chose to lead was wrong. As much as he has been criticized by the media over the years for the way he talks to his teammates, he is, overall, well-liked by them.
But that “in your face” style is not who Love is. And he does not want to be anybody but himself. By continuing to blend his own personality with what LaFleur expects of him as a leader, he will be able to take the Packers offense to higher levels this season.
