Two weeks ago if you had asked the NFL world if the Packers had made the right choice in bringing in Jordan Love all those years ago they might have given you a semi convincing yes. Despite all the headaches and strife it caused it might have been the correct move. Was Green Bay really that ahead of the game? Are the Packers destined to dominate the league and the poor NFC North for another 15 years thanks to another savvy quarterback succession plan. It’s important to note that this was the conversation from two weeks ago. But in the" what have you done for me lately league" the Packers might be in a world of trouble.
This current predicament that the Packers faithful find themselves in can really boil down to the fault of one man. Don Majkowski. The magic man as they called him all those years ago set the arrogance of the Packers organization into a frenzy. The name might not ring a bell and fair enough the man retired almost 30 years ago and he only made one pro bowl. Oddly however it is his story that brings us to where we are today and the Packers current state of potential mini panic. Don Majkowski was the starter that much was clear although his identity as a starter may have been on thin ice. But in week 3 in 1992 a moment in time changed Packers history forever. Don Majkowski went down and in came a young gun by the name of Bret Favre, who on that day deserved the nickname magic man. Bret Favre took the game, mounted a comeback, and never looked back. Maybe that comeback would have been Majkowskis but it wasn’t. Not long after Bret Favre became a fixture in Green Bay winning super bowls and MVPs. A starter who never looked back, a true gunslinger. Favre, despite his turnovers and antics never had to worry about being benched or replaced as he had done to the less heralded Majkowski, well not until 2005 when the Packers took a QB in the first round by the name of Aaron Rodgers.
The story of Favre v. Rodgers has been well documented and does need to be rehashed here. The highlights are that hall of fame QB Favre taunted the Packers with retirement for a few years and eventually at one point the Packers called his bluff. From then Green Bay moved on with Rodgers traded Favre to Jets and enjoyed over a decade more of excellent Quarterback play. However, that story brings us to another which feels weirdly similar. Rodgers never had to look back; he was a champion and a MVP and why would he, he was in control because he was Green Bay. Until the Packers decided to take a QB by the name of Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft. Once again the story of Rodgers v Love has been well documented and does not need to be brought up here. The highlights are Rodgers taunted the Packers with retirement until they called his bluff, they proclaimed Love the starter shipped Rodgers to the Jets and that takes us to the present day. This may sound creepily similar. It was Rodgers who got his career off to a blazing start and never stopped that made this decision for the Packers so easy in a weird way. A sort of if we did it once we can do it again mentality. However there is one difference Rodgers is not Favre and Love is not Rodgers and the league is a world different than it was when this succession came about. The league is far less patient with its young QBs and the media is more intense on everything ready to jump on every mistake, every missed throw or bad interception. One wonders how any young Quarterback under the microscope manages to survive at all with any confidence remaining.
Love has not been bad, to say so would be the words of someone who has not watched Mac Jones this year. However Love has not been Rodgers which for some reason was what many expected. I’m not even talking about MVP Rodgers we have gotten used to. He simply does not look as good as the young Rodgers who replaced Favre. Now comes the inevitable bad news for all Packers fans chanting “It’s love time baby.” Love will never be Rodgers. Now before you faint and call back the Jets to see if you can get him back, Packers fans let’s talk about another important fact. Love will never be Rodgers because they are different players. Love will continue to struggle this year just as all young quarterbacks do but there may just be hope for him despite a disappointing last two weeks.
Love was always going to struggle. All the signs of future struggles were there since college but the good news for the Packers is he has also shown the reason why they drafted him. Yeah he sails some throws he should hit but there are also times he looks like an absolute baller. Case in point the tale of two halves against the Saints a couple weeks ago. In one he looked completely out of his depth but in the other he looked like the QB every team would want, he looked absolutely poised and extremely talented. Love is going to take more time than Rodgers did which sadly in this current version of the NFL he might not get the chance but he is showing flashes so if the Cheese Head faithful can stay calm and stay the course they might have a quarterback who’s worth waiting for. However you gotta love Jordan Love for who he is because just like Rodgers wasn’t the reckless Favre and Favre wasn’t the middle tier Majkowski Love is who he is. If the Packers can do that love, Love for who he is, the succession plan might still be in play and in a decade when they draft another Quarterback to replace Love you can do this whole dance again. But who knows maybe soon we might be talking about how good Sheduer Sanders would look in the Green and Gold the NFL is a wild place.
Kaleb Unger
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