As the rookie quarterback out of Utah State who could be Aaron Rodgers’ heir apparent progresses through Green Bay Packers training camp, there are some growing pains.
Former Aggies star Jordan Love, picked by the Packers in the first round, is having a slow start to his first training camp, as is to be expected.
Right now, Love is third on the quarterback depth chart, behind Rodgers and backup quarterback Tim Boyle. Love isn’t expected to come in and start right away with Rodgers running the show and under contract through 2023, so Love has the luxury of time.
With COVID-19, the Packers haven’t had a rookie minicamp and Love was thrust into regular training camp.
ESPN reports that Love is completing about 56% of his passes while in training camp.
“I just told him, ‘Hey, you can’t play hesitant; you can’t play tentative,’” Packers coach Matt LaFleur told ESPN. “We tell the quarterbacks, ‘Indecisive equals ineffective.’ I know there’s a lot going through his mind right now, but sometimes you’ve just got to shut it off and let your instincts take over and really go out and rip the ball. That’s kind of the challenge to him right now.”
Love said the lack of reps and no rookie minicamp have been challenging so far.
“I’d say the biggest thing lost would be reps,” Love said. “Throughout the whole summer just being on Zoom doing meetings and finally getting out here right now and then not having preseason games and whatnot, I would say reps is the biggest thing. But you’ve just got to find a way to learn on the go and be a great visual learner and being able to just go through plays in my head in the back when I’m not getting reps and just take mental reps.”