Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur says the team’s confidence in their quarterback is “not wavering one bit” despite Jordan Love’s struggles. Still, there’s reason to wonder about his long-term future. Love has another year left on contract, worth $22.5 million through 2024, and general manager Brian Gutekunst says “I hope not” when asked if it will take more than this season to see if Love will be their long-term starter.
“I think we’ve got 10 games left. These are going to be very important 10 games,” Gutekunst said, via ESPN.
The Packers have lost their last four games, a stretch where Love has four touchdowns and seven interceptions. After starting 2-1, Green Bay has seen a major difference in production and now stand at 2-5, third in the NFC North.
Gutekunst said he has seen good things from their first-year starter and admits that as a team they need to do more to put together wins.
“I think he’s done a lot of really good things,” Gutekunst said. “Really like the way he’s responded to the adversity, how he’s led the team. Again, we’ve got to be better as a unit and I expect that to happen over the next 10 games. And I think that we’re going through some things that we knew we would go through. We haven’t had the results that we want, but I do like the way guys are responding to things.”
He admitted Love has been “a little up and down,” adding he feels the entire offense can be described in the same way.
As they deal with the growing pains moving on from Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a fourth-year QB with little experience, Gutekunst said the offense has “been a work in progress.” It has not all been bad and while their main issues have been in the first half, Gutekunst mentioned some shining moments.
“There’s been glimpses, particularly in the second halves of really good football,” Gutekunst said. “But we have not started very well. So, I think that group, that unit as a whole has a lot of work to do. But at the same time, they’re kind of committed to the process, believe in that group of guys and expect better results coming.”
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In the last five games, opponents have outscored the Packers 73-9 in the first half. They have a minus-59 first-half point differential, which is tied for second-worst in the NFL. It is truly a tale of two halves for the Packers. In the third and fourth quarter of games they are plus-42, second best in the league.
“Are there some things [Love] can do better? Absolutely,” Gutekunst said “I think he’d be the first to tell you. Are there some things we can do as a staff to help our guys? Absolutely. And then, when there are plays there to be made, we’ve got to make the plays.”
Not long after LaFleur said it was hard to evaluate Love, Gutekunst said it’s “hard to evaluate anybody” when “the group as a whole is not functioning the way it should function” while they are trying to evaluate their starter as a first-year quarterback.
“At the same time, it’s on us to get that right so we can move forward and evaluate the guys we have in that room. But yeah, when we’re not clicking it’s tough to evaluate anything,” Gutekunst continued.
If we are evaluating Love based on stats, he is last in completion rating at 57.7% among 32 qualifying quarterbacks and the Packers are 25th in total yards per game and 21st in passing yards per game. This season, he has 1,492 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.