The Green Bay Packers lost Jordan Love to an injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8, and he may end up missing more time based on the first update involving the quarterback’s health following the game.
Head coach Matt LaFleur spoke to media members during the postgame press conference, offering details on Love’s groin injury and voicing concern over its implications.
“Obviously high level of concern,” LaFleur said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “I think everybody could see him struggling to move around, and I just got to a point where we didn’t — he didn’t feel like he could protect himself.”
Love left the contest in the third quarter after completing 14-of-22 passes for 196 yards and 1 INT. Backup quarterback Malik Willis stepped in and went 4-of-5 for 56 yards and 1 TD in relief, as the Packers went on to beat the Jaguars 30-27 by way of a game-winning field goal.
Malik Willis Has Stepped Up for Green Bay Before
As disconcerting as more bad injury news on Love might be, Packers fans can take some solace in the fact that the team has called upon Willis before — and he has answered.
Love went down earlier this year with a knee sprain that he suffered late in Green Bay’s Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Willis looked shaky on a couple of snaps to end that contest. However, he stepped up and led the Packers to a 2-0 record in Love’s absence over the following two weeks.
The Packers figured out a formula that includes a big dose of the ground game and leaning on the defense, while asking Willis to manage the offense and take the occasional shot here and there. He has been able to execute that plan effectively in three different games now, completing 29-of-39 passes on the season for 380 yards and 3 TDs against zero INTs.
Green Bay bested the Indianapolis Colts at home by six points in Week 3 on the strength of 261 rushing yards as a team with Willis under center. The QB then led the Packers to a road victory over his former franchise, the Tennessee Titans, by 16 points in Week 4. Green Bay rushed for 188 yards as a group on that afternoon.
A steady stream of handoffs to running back Josh Jacobs was also central to the game plan on Sunday following Love’s exit, as the Packers moved the football methodically for the most part but also hit on a 51-yard pass from Willis to wide receiver Jayden Reed.
Packers May Add QB to Roster in Coming Weeks
Depending on the severity of Love’s groin injury, rehabilitation could take anywhere between 1-6 weeks — save for a Grade 3 strain, which could potentially end his season.
Assuming Love’s season isn’t over, the Packers may still consider adding another quarterback to the roster behind Willis and third-string option Sean Clifford, who currently resides on the practice squad.
The schedule gets tougher in the coming weeks and the Packers’ formula may not work as effectively against the likes of the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, both of whom Green Bay will face inside of the next month.
That doesn’t mean the Packers will go big and try to trade for a name like Justin Fields of the Pittsburgh Steelers or sign a free agent like Ryan Tannehill to compete with Willis for the starting job. However, it would make sense to get another QB in the locker room and familiar with the offense if Willis struggles or gets injured himself before Love can return.
