After being the backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love has a different view on having a relationship with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
Love took some time to be a guest on the Thanalysis Show for an interview with Milwaukee Bucks player Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Thanasis asked Love about his relationship with Rodgers, and the Packers quarterback had only positive things to say about his former teammate.
“We have a great relationship,” Love said. “Obviously, I was in the quarterback room with him. When you’re in that room together you’re there every day for multiple hours a day so you build a relationship with everyone in that room. We have a good relationship, and like you said, the comparisons are always going to happen.”
Even though Love was drafted to eventually succeed Rodgers, it seems that the two didn’t let it affect their relationship.
Aaron Rodgers Didn’t Receive the Same Treatment
Rodgers was willing to be a mentor for Love, but he didn’t receive the same kind of treatment when he was the younger quarterback for the Packers.
The Packers picked Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft to eventually succeed Brett Favre. It was a similar situation to what Love had to face back in 2020, but Favre wasn’t excited about being a mentor.
“My contract doesn’t say I have to get Aaron Rodgers ready to play,” Favre said at the time. “Now hopefully he watches me and gets something from that.”
Rodgers decided to take Love under his wing instead of treating him similarly to how he was treated by Favre.
“I’ve always had great relationships with my backups, and I always love helping those guys out in any way,” Rodgers said previously. “The more questions they have, the more answers I have. I’ve really truly embraced those relationships, and it’ll be the same with Jordan.”
Jordan Love Already Appears to be a Franchise QB
It didn’t take long for Love to seem like the next franchise quarterback for the Packers. A mentor like Rodgers likely played a part in that.
After some ups and downs early in the season, Love turned on the jets to finish out 2023. He finished the year with the second most passing touchdowns in the NFL, throwing for 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 4,159 yards.
Love also performed well in the team’s two playoff games. Despite two interceptions in the divisional round loss to the 49ers, he finished the postseason with a 108.6 passer rating while averaging an impressive 8.5 yards per pass attempt.
The future looks bright for Love. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst revealed that the team has already started “preliminary discussions” on what will likely be a substantial contract extension.
The Packers will likely make Love one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. With financial security and an offense filled with young weapons like Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, Love could quickly help turn the Packers back into Super Bowl contenders in 2024 and beyond.
