The Green Bay Packers have a quarterback slowly gaining respect across the league, even if it might not match his actual performances on the field. Mike Sando from The Athletic released his yearly quarterback tiers ahead of the 2026 season on Tuesday, and Jordan Love kept his rising trajectory.

For the first time, Love cracked the top 10, still considered a Tier 2 quarterback but climbing from 13th last year to No. 10. Sando’s list is one of the most accurate and respected in the market, built on conversations with executives, coaches, scouts, and talent evaluators around the NFL.

Rising respect despite mixed signals

There are several reasons to believe Love is earning more respect inside the league, even though the broader picture remains uneven. He finished 72nd in the players’ top 100 and fell out of the top 10 in Jeremy Fowler’s polling of executives, coaches, and scouts.

Sando’s methodology tells a different story. Love received two Tier 1 votes, which was impressive, and 37 Tier 2 votes, which sounds right for where he is in his career. Eleven evaluators placed him in Tier 3, a reminder that Love still generates mixed opinions.

The questionable part is who landed ahead of him. Jared Goff and Drake Maye tied at No. 8, Dak Prescott sat at No. 7, and Justin Herbert checked in at No. 6. All remain in Tier 2 but ranked above Love. Caleb Williams is tied for 11th.

What NFL coaches see on film

One offensive coach pointed to the way Love plays. He is aggressive, but he deserves respect for being efficient despite that style.

“He’s always getting away with it,” the coach said. “So at some point, I just have to tip my cap.”

An opposing defensive coordinator also offered a revealing assessment: “He’s good. I was surprised. Really solid, mobile, threw with better accuracy than I thought. I’d give him a [tier] 2.”

Another defensive coordinator added: “Smart, can do things at the line, has the arm talent, the mobility when he needs it, but knows how to sit in and deliver. Not a consistent killer yet, but if he plays good ball, you can win a Super Bowl with him.”

The consistency argument falls flat

That last quote is the most curious part. The Packers have a good enough quarterback to compete for and win Super Bowls for years to come. Over the past two years, the winning quarterbacks have been Jalen Hurts and Sam Darnold. The track record shows you don’t need a Tier 1 quarterback to win in the NFL, and Love is more than good enough to make that happen.

The one criticism that persists is about the lack of consistency, with one defensive coordinator saying Love needs more of it week in and week out. But the numbers contradict that narrative. Love was seventh in success rate last season. The consistent production is there. Earlier in his career, the success rate was more up and down, but last season Love consolidated himself as a viable and steady producer. That is exactly what Green Bay wanted to see.

Now it becomes a matter of generating more volume or achieving more team success. Wins don’t necessarily reflect individual performance, but the NFL world operates by measuring wins and including them when evaluating talent. That disconnect is what separates Love from a fairer and more accurate evaluation around the league.