Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
More NFL rumors pile up in this stagnant week of free agency, this time concerning the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.
The rest of the league has likely tired from hearing every whisper coming out of the Packers franchise, but until the team actually trades Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay remains the biggest rumor minefield of the offseason.
So, what do the Packers have in store for us today? Rather, it’s what the Packers might be holding back.
Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy was acting especially squirrely this week and may have a major revelation on the tip of his tongue….but we’ll get to that in due time. First, some controversial comments about an uncontroversial quarterback, and then the mildly bruising news of the Colts getting their Parris Campbell replacement.
Here are the three biggest NFL rumors going around today.
NFL Rumors: Jordan Love needs time to escape Aaron Rodgers’ shadow
Pundits are already comparing Jordan Love to Aaron Rodgers, but that much was to be expected. It’s the same treatment Rodgers got when Brett Favre left the Green Bay Packers for the New York Jets all those years ago, and it’s the easiest, most natural way to describe any quarterback transition.
Take new Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, for example. He came out of the gate in his first press conference declaring that he wasn’t going to try to be Tom Brady. “I’m going to be me,” he says with the confidence of a much better quarterback.
In the self-deprecating vein of Mayfield, Love probably isn’t going to try to be Aaron Rodgers. He shouldn’t.
But the talking heads still can’t help comparing Love to the Packers legend and one guest on Colin Cowherd recently noted how similar Love’s and Rodgers’ “motion” was:
In Love’s third appearance of the 2022 season, he subbed on for an injured Rodgers in the fourth quarter and went 6-of-9 for 113 yards and one passing touchdown. Digging deeper than the stats, Love did look more comfortable in the pocket and appeared to have made strides in his form and mechanics.
We wouldn’t go so far as to say he played “like Rodgers,” but he maintained his composure and possessed the footwork and coordination to lead the Packers on a few nice drives despite the loss against the Eagles.
No need to get ahead of ourselves here. Love can turn into a fine starting quarterback in his own due time.