Jordan Love makes important progress to be at his best when the Packers count on him most this season
Quarterback is recovering from a left thumb injury
Jordan Love is in Indianapolis with the Green Bay Packers, but won’t play against the Colts in preseason Week 2. Even though the starting quarterback is not expected to play against the Seattle Seahawks next week either, he has made progress since a left thumb surgery on Tuesday.
Before the Packers-Colts preseason game, Love was on the field and made some throw, making sure that the left hand would be out of the throwing motion. It’s still a small step, but it’s an important sign of progress for his main goal, which is to be fully healthy and ready by Sept. 7, when the Packers open their regular season against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.
On Thursday, before a joint practice with the Colts, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur indicated that Love should practice this week, albeit he shouldn’t play in the preseason anymore.
“The surgery went well, and he’s in great spirits. He’s here with us. Now it’s about putting in the work to get the thumb rehabbed,” LaFleur said. “We anticipate there will be some sort of participation next week.”
Jordan Love had practiced on Monday, two days after suffering his left thumb injury against the New York Jets. It was some sort of test. He could operate, but since there was enough time to make the surgery, Love made a concerted effort to be 100% by the start of the season.
“With the time frame that we have right now, finishing up training camp and preseason, and heading into the season with the choice, to be going into the season 100% healthy was definitely the call I wanted to make,” Love explained on Thursday. “Dealing with injuries last year, I wanted to go into this thing feeling good.”
In 2024, Love had to handle knee, groin, and elbow injuries throughout the year, which affected his ability to practice and perform at his best level.
Quarterback room
Without Jordan Love, there will be more opportunities for the backups to finish out the preseason. Malik Willis will start against the Colts—and presumably versus the Seahawks as well. The roster also has former fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and rookie Canadian Taylor Elgersma, who are battling for the QB3 spot.
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