The Green Bay Packers are happy with Jordan Love and made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in football. The team also invested in offensive weapons, and the group of pass-catchers is promising. The offensive line has its issues, especially in run block, and the running back depth is questionable. That all means the Packers pass the ball much more than it runs it, right? Not so fast.

In 2025, the Packers were 28th in the NFL in pass rate (52.31%), and that’s one year after being 30th (49.31%, the first time Green Bay ran more than threw the ball since 2003).

The case for Jordan Love as an MVP candidate

ESPN analyst Seth Walder brought an interesting discussion to the table. He put Jordan Love on a short list of 10 MVP candidates for 2026. But in order for that to actually happen, head coach Matt LaFleur will have to lean more on his quarterback.

“Love quietly ranked third in QBR (72.7) last season behind only Maye and Brock Purdy. In order for him to win MVP, the Packers would have to become more pass-heavy. But it would probably be a good move for Green Bay to do exactly that, so Love has a chance.” — Seth Walder

Balance between efficiency and volume

There’s always a battle between how much a team should pass. In general, passing is much more efficient the running the ball. On the other hand, the threat of running makes passing easier and more efficient. LaFleur’s entire offensive structure is based on the idea of matching passing and running concepts to make it hard for the defense to operate.

Usually, quarterbacks with low volume can be more efficient when they do throw. The “Let Russ Cook” failed movement as a proof of that concept. Russell Wilson was a highly efficient quarterback, but when the Seattle Seahawks gave him more volume, things started to fall apart.

Nevertheless, Jordan Love deserves the chance to show he can still be an efficient quarterback with more volume. And if he can do it, Love will be in the conversation among elite quarterbacks every year.

The big improvement in Love’s game, and what should give the Packers more confidence about leaning on him, is how much better Love has been on a play-by-play basis. In his first two seasons as a starter, Love was great in EPA/play and average in success rate. That means Love relied too much on explosive plays to create that efficiency, and that naturally changes with a bigger sample size.

In 2025, though, Love significantly stepped up in that area, surpassing 50% of success rate for the first time in his NFL career — he was seventh in the NFL.

Last year, the Packers were materially better when passing the football. Not only in a vacuum, which is always to be expected, but also compared to other offenses. Green Bay was second in dropback EPA and fifth in dropback success rate in the NFL, but 21st in rush EPA and ninth in rush success rate.

Volume is what separates Jordan Love from national recognition. He’s ready to take that responsibility, and it’s time for the Packers to lean on his abilities to make the offense even more explosive.