Jordan Love has come a long way in the NFL. Less than nine months ago, for example, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid answered that when asked about the Green Bay Packers quarterback:

"Who's that?," Reid questioned at first. "I'm trying to remember Jordan Love."

When the reporter mentioned that Love had started against the Chiefs in 2021, Reid gave a standard answer, without much insight.

"Oh yeah, yeah. I thought heー what I remember, I thought he was good, yeah."

In fact, things have changed dramatically for Love over the last nine months. By that time, Aaron Rodgers was still under contract with the Packers. Now, 11 games into his tenure as the de facto Packers starting quarterback, the young player has changed perceptions around him in the league.

"A world of difference. He’s playing really good football right now," Reid said this week when asked about Love's development since that 2021 game. "You start looking at his numbers, and they're up there these last few games here. He's done a nice job."

Two years ago, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo adapted his gameplan when Aaron Rodgers was diagnosed with covid. The blitzes caught Love and the Packers off guard. They might do it again on Sunday, but Spagnuolo showed respect about how Love handled a difficult situation back then.

"Even when we played him in 2021 I was impressed. I came out of that game saying that he had something," the defensive coordinator said. "Now, I think they are kind of hitting their stride. Their WR corps is a little like our DB corps last year."

That 2021 game was the first NFL start of Jordan Love's career, and he was always considered a raw talent. With more games under his belt now, his development is evident. And the Chiefs know that.

"Jordan has gotten better and better, every single game," said Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes. "He's always had the talent, but when you get more and more reps – I mean, he didn't play for three years basically – so he's gotten more and more reps, you can see how much more comfortable he's getting."

Style of play

Jordan Love is different from Aaron Rodgers in multiple ways. But the young passer was behind the future Hall of Famer for three years, watching him at practice and in film rooms. For Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, that has become clear.

"He's been progressing ever since they gave him the opportunity to get the starting job," the defensive leader of the Chiefs mentioned. "He learned a lot under Aaron Rodgers and kind of has some of his mechanics."

The Chiefs are still the favorites, even playing at Lambeau Field. But what Jordan Love has done over his first 11 games as the real starter is enough to change the perception from the young kid who got that first start in Kansas City in 2021. It's a different circumstance now, and everybody involved in the game is taking a different approach to it.

What the Packers can learn from the first Jordan Love start against the Chiefs

Love made his first NFL start against the KC in 2021